Champlain’s 2020 Vision captures the
philosophy of having international
experiences. See how Champlain
students are finding their way around
the world with the help of faculty and
staff, businesses, philanthropists,
and
philanthropists,
their
own own
initiative.
and their
initiative.

INSIDE:
8
11
12
13
15
16

17 Exceeding Our Goals
A special 12-page report on the
success of the Vision Innovation
Passion Comprehensive Campaign.

Champlain View is published twice a
year (spring and fall) by Champlain
College. Printing: Queen City Printers
Inc., Burlington, VT. Founded in
1878, Champlain College is an Equal
Opportunity Educational Institution.
It is also available online at
www.champlain.edu

PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Greetings from the Hill,
As I write this letter, we are less than one week away from beginning our first classes in
Shanghai, China, for students enrolled in our new MS degree program in Emergent Media.
These Chinese students will spend the fall and spring terms in Shanghai and then travel to
Burlington for summer term in 2014 to finish their degrees. Although we are beginning
modestly with fewer than 10 students this fall, we expect this program to enroll over
100 students per year in just a few years. This is the latest chapter in Champlain’s global
activities.
In October, I had the privilege of traveling to Dublin, Ireland, to celebrate the fifth
anniversary of our center. The 40+ students enrolled at Dublin this fall are excited and
enthusiastic about their experience so far. It was a wonderful celebration and reaffirmed, for
me, the importance of study abroad for our students. The globalized companies in which
they will work increasingly demand that employees be both sophisticated about and
accepting of other cultures and viewpoints. Study abroad is, in my view, one of the very best
ways to acquire this perspective.
Our center in Montreal also continues to thrive and provides an excellent opportunity for
students to work in a foreign country while studying abroad. Our students also have ready
access to “partner” programs in Ifrane, Morocco; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Auckland, New
Zealand; and Shanghai, China.
This year we expect that more than 275 of our third-year students will spend time abroad.
Most of them will study abroad for a full semester. This means that more than one-half of
our graduates from the class of ’15 will have studied abroad, just as in the several graduating
classes that preceded them. It is certainly a change from the very, very few Champlainers
who used to study abroad. Overall, it is one of the best changes that has happened at
Champlain. Our students agree wholeheartedly!
Another aspect of Champlain that has changed is that now, increasingly, the world is
coming to us. This fall across all College programs, we have enrolled 33 international
students from 23 different foreign countries. Twelve of the students are from Saudi Arabia
and five are from China. These students add a valuable level of diversity in our classrooms,
improving the education of everyone involved.
We have made significant progress on relating students’ Champlain experiences to the
world, and I have mentioned only a few of our areas of emphasis above. But we have only
begun and I expect that you will see even more impressive progress on this front in the
future.
I hope you enjoy this issue of our magazine, especially the articles related to our many
international efforts.

Dr. David F. Finney
President

President David Finney raises a
toast to the Dublin campus on its
fifth anniversary earlier this fall.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Champlain
View you hold in your hands
has been restored to its full size
after a brief experiment in costcutting measures during the
Great Recession. We think that
the expansion couldn’t come at
a better time as we continue to
need more space to tell the stories
and great news coming out of the
College.
You will also notice that we took
advantage of this transition to
update the look of the magazine’s
typography, layout, and colors
to match the current branding
and style guidelines used on our
website and in marketing materials.
Watch for continued
improvements, especially as we
expand our online presence in
coming months. As always, your
feedback and comments are
welcome and help guide us in our
work to celebrate Champlain’s
stories.
Stephen Mease, Director of
Public Information and News

smease@champlain.edu

Champlain View | Fall 13

1

TAKING ON
THE WORLD
CHAMPLAINERS GO FOR IT ON A GLOBAL SCALE

B

efore families and friends bid their
farewells and sent warm wishes to their
first-year students on Champlain’s Aiken
Lawn on a fine summer day this August,
President David F. Finney gave his last
opening speech at Orientation to the Class of 2017.

He boldly stated, “As part of our LEAD [Life
Experience & Action Dimension] program, which
is committed to helping you learn more about this
global village we all inhabit, when you return for
your sophomore year next fall, if you have a 3.0 GPA
[or higher], I will pay for you to acquire a passport.
Study abroad is the best and quickest way for most

undergraduates to recognize the complexity of the
world—to come to appreciate the validity and power
of other narratives. We want you to go abroad—we’ve
even set up sites for you to make it easy. One year
from now: a 3.0 and a brand new passport, on me.
For those of you who already have passports: great—
we’re happy you do!”
This is the first of many opportunities that Champlain
students will hear about over the course of their
academic experience; it just goes to show the
overarching philosophy of having international
experiences as a student at the College.

In a secluded area of China, dividing the Municipality of Beijing and Hebei Province,
Champlain College students hiked unrestored parts of the Great Wall in the fall of 2012.

2

Champlain View | Fall 13

Story and photo by

Kayla Hedman ’14

A PASSPORT TO NEW POSSIBILITIES
JIM
CROSS
“Champlain College is a national
leader in international education with
its signature campus internationalization initiative,” said Jim Cross,
associate provost for international
education and senior international
officer at Champlain College. “The
initiative includes ensuring that all
Champlain College students have the
opportunity to have an international
study, internship, and/or servicelearning experience. For the third
straight year, more than 50 percent
of Champlain students have studied
abroad by the time they graduate—
exceeding internal goals and ranking
Champlain second in Vermont institutions of higher education and among
the top colleges in the country for
students studying abroad,” Cross
continued.
A graduate of the University of
Vermont, Cross has more than 25
years of experience in international
diplomacy, negotiations, corporate
relations, research, and education in
both academic and applied settings,
including working for the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (Rome), the NATO
Parliament (Brussels), and Business
International.
He currently is the founding
president of Education Vermont
USA. He is a member of the board
of the Vermont Council on World
Affairs and the boards of Champlain
College Dublin and Champlain
College Montreal. He has served
as the NAFSA senior international
officer network manager and served
on the executive board of the IIE
Global Engineering Education
Exchange. Cross has become
increasingly involved in efforts to link
international education to economic
development.

L

iam Callaghan ’15, a Computer
Networking and Information Security
major, recently participated in a stage
performance in Dublin, Ireland. “As a
part of the choir I joined while studying
abroad, the Lassus Scholars, I was in a
play called ‘The Events’ about a boy who
attends a meeting of a
multicultural choir and
performs a shooting.
There were five performances of the play,
and each night a different choir from around
Dublin was chosen to
act as Claire’s choir, the
lead actress’ chorus.
My choir was chosen
to perform opening
night,” Callaghan
s h a re d w i t h p r i d e .
“At one point during
a rehearsal we were
asked to volunteer for
a piece of the show
w h e re w e w e re t o
deliver a monologue. We didn’t have to
have it memorized, which was a perk, and
I volunteered. During this professional
show, I got to deliver a monologue. It
was pretty amazing. I wouldn’t have been
able to be part of this international choir
or this performance in Dublin if it wasn’t
for Champlain Abroad.”

“Stories like Liam’s personify the
Champlain Abroad experience. We
strive to bring the ‘human touch’ to
all study abroad experiences,” said
Noah Goldblatt, study abroad director
in the Office of International Education
at Champlain College. “Whether it
be acting as a teaching assistant for a
college course in New
Zealand or presenting, in French, at an
international video
game competition in
Montreal, Champlain
students fully leverage their international
experience for both
personal and professional growth. We
could write a novel
of individual stories
like Liam’s, and it’s
this rich culture of
immersion that makes
us excited to come to
work every day.”
Over the past five
years, there has been approximately a 300
percent increase in abroad experiences
—which at Champlain can be defined in
various ways.
An international experience can range
from an entire semester spent studying abroad to a weeklong faculty-led
(Illustrations by Brian Culmo ‘15)

cultural immersion trip. There are various
international service-learning trips and
even opportunities to have an international internship before graduation.
“In the 2008-09 academic year we had
82 students in international programs;
in 2012-13, we had 232,” reported
Goldblatt.
President Finney has placed international travel in a priority position.
In Champlain’s 2020 Vision, it is the
institution’s goal to “be the finest small,
professionally and globally focused
college in the United States; the College
will prepare all students to be globally
engaged citizens and leaders.”
By the numbers, the original 2020
objective was to have 50 percent of
students participate in international
programs by the time they graduate.
“We have already reached that goal for
the past couple of years,” said Goldblatt.
“Five years ago, we had only 23 percent
of students study abroad. The program
has come a long way.”

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Champlain is tackling the 2020 Vision
one step at a time. The overarching
philosophy of having a global experience
at Champlain starts at home, though—
right on Burlington’s campus.
The most applicable focus of the 2020
Vision is fostering a diverse and inclusive
community. Recognizing that diversity
is both a reflection of the world and a
source of rich education, Champlain is
striving to be diverse in ways that reflect
the world in which we live and work. The
strategic Diversity and Inclusion goals
include increasing the diversity of the
student body and of faculty and staff,
while fostering educational opportunities

4

Champlain View | Fall 13

for each of them to develop intercultural
competence.
The 2020 Vision states, “Champlain
will be an institution that harnesses the
productive power of difference. A strong
climate of mutual respect among all
members of the Champlain community
will be cultivated, with particular emphasis
on cultural differences associated with
age, ethnicity, gender, physical ability,
race and sexual orientation. Employees
and students will live and work in an
environment where it is safe to take risks
and challenge others.”
So far, the College has developed
multiple programs to address the goals.
Through deliberate and thoughtful
recruitment strategies, there has been
an increase in campus diversity, a term
that incorporates students of color,
women, eligible Pell Grant recipients,
and international students. “This year
there are first-year international students
from China, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,
El Salvador, Macedonia, Switzerland,
and more at our Burlington campus,”

said Kathy Lynn, assistant director of
International Student Services. “That’s in
addition to students we have had from
Haiti, the Republic of Liberia, South Africa,
Bhutan, Palestine, and the list goes on
and on.”
Some Champlain initiatives include
international programming. The Cultural
Community Alliance (CCA) is a studentrun group sponsored by the Office of
International Education. Its mission is to
provide opportunities for all members
of the Champlain College community to explore different cultures and
perspectives.
The CCA’s campus-wide events and
social activities include a fall International
Education Week, and a speaker series
that has included the Swedish, Irish, and
Moroccan ambassadors to the United
States.
Student Life has also fostered a community of learning by hiring Jennifer Jang
as associate director of student diversity
programs at Champlain.
This fall, she has organized a Chinese
Moon Festival and an Eid Al-Adha
Celebration that featured authentic
food, drink, traditional activities, and
performances.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion
(ODI), directed by Ame Lambert, continues
to work with all campus stakeholders to
create an inclusive, interculturally competent campus. ODI’s ongoing programming
includes Intercultural U—Champlain’s
unique intercultural training certification
program designed to prepare members of
Champlain’s faculty and staff to serve as
peer trainers, advocates, and facilitators of
intercultural and diversity programming.
About 125 Champlain employees have
received their Intercultural U certificates,
and Lambert will kick off the sixth cohort
in the spring.
The College is also honored to host its
first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, Rula
Quawas. She is a Gender Research in Arab
Countries into ICTs for Empowerment
(GRACE) project research team leader
and Professor of English at the University
of Jordan.
During her year at Champlain she is
teaching junior-level courses pertaining
to Arab feminisms and culture.

STUDY ABROAD ENRICHMENT
Students visiting Western Ireland during their semester abroad in Dublin
in the spring of 2013. (Photo by Colby Thompson ‘14)

SEEING THE WORLD
Through senior Josh Tubbs’ end-ofsemester video blog in the fall of 2012,
one can learn about the various ways
that Champlain’s study abroad program
extends far beyond the classroom.
Tubbs was at Champlain’s Dublin
campus, which is promoted to students
as being the gateway to Europe. “For
a kid who had never left the United
States before, I’m so grateful for the
opportunities I had while abroad to do
so many sorts of things, like experiencing
the crowds of Oktoberfest in Munich,
going on the London Eye, taking a quick
picture with a Spongebob in Madrid,
tasting the deliciousness of Belgian
Josh Tubbs ‘14 in
Howth, Dublin,
Ireland.

chocolate in Brussels, getting lost along
the river roads in Venice, climbing the
Eiffel Tower in Paris, on top of all the other
things I did with Champlain Dublin in
Ireland.”
Tubbs admitted that he was worried
before going. “Before I got to Dublin, I
never really thought that it would feel like
home, like Burlington and New Hampshire
felt like, but golly, was that proven all
kinds of wrong!”
Through the three main mottos of
Champlain College abroad – Explore,
Immerse, and Engage – Tubbs was
exposed to more than he could have
imagined.
President Finney, who visited Champlain
Dublin in October for the campus’ fifth
anniversary, believes, “You’ve got to
change, you’ve got to adapt, and you
need to be good at understanding people
from different parts of the world” in order
to be a successful global citizen.
Along with Dublin, where nearly 400
students have attended since 2008,
Champlain Abroad has a campus in
Montreal, Quebec, as well as various
global partners.
“Our Montreal and Dublin academic
centers continue to grow, offering
increased opportunities for internships
and service learning experiences for our
students as part of our unique guided
immersion study abroad program,”
reported Jim Cross, associate provost
for international education and senior
international officer at Champlain College.
“We have also added a new global
partners program with study abroad
sites in Shanghai, China; Buenos Aires,
Argentina; Ifrane, Morocco; and Auckland,

New Zealand,” he said.
Some students choose to take advantage of exchange programs present in
France, the Netherlands, or Morocco, or
in addition to those programs, students
can seek out other third-party programs
that offer a wide range of countries, types
of programs, and academic content.
Other study abroad options include
various faculty-led cultural immersion
trips, and international internships and
service trips, which vary each semester.
Faculty and staff have taken students to
China, Jordan, Nicaragua, Italy, Tanzania,
Uganda, and elsewhere for cultural
immersion and service.

INTERNATIONAL
EMERGENT MEDIA
In 2010, the Champlain College
Emergent Media Center (EMC), with
the aid of the Population Media Center
and the United Nations Population Fund,

traveled to various countries to see how
they responded to gender-based violence.
In their travels, the group of students
and staff noticed things that influenced
the creation of Breakaway, an episodic
electronic soccer game that utilizes
entertainment-education strategies to
combat violence against women and girls,
bullying, and gender inequality.
“I went to South Africa with a group of
students who were working on a project
to end violence against women through a
video game,” said Nichole Magoon ’10,
Champlain’s digital community manager.
“It changed the way I felt about myself
and the way I view the world.”
Since the game was released during
the FIFA World Cup in 2010, it has been
played in over 180 countries. A small
international team of undergraduate
students, led by Mahmoud Jabari ’15,
of Palestine, organized and conducted
Breakaway sessions at three youth summer
camps in the city of Hebron in the West

6

Champlain View | Fall 13

Bank of Palestine in June 2012. This
November, another group of students,
led by Mariana Herrera ‘15, brought the
game to El Salvador.
Since this globalization of the EMC,
and the growth of its Master of Fine
Arts program, Director Ann DeMarle
has worked to create a new Master in
Emergent Media degree program in
Shanghai, China.
“I have been fortunate to travel for
Champlain, first to Germany to observe
state-of-the-art graphic design and
printing industries, then to Macedonia to
witness how underdeveloped countries
out-compete U.S. firms in web-delivered
products and 3D art and animation
production. This all fed into curriculum
designed to enable Champlain students
to become globally competitive,” said
DeMarle.
“The EMC’s United Nations-sponsored
Breakaway game upped the ante by
allowing students to experience firsthand
technology and media in South Africa,
St. Lucia, and Italy and then envision how
to design for positive impact. This fall
we have been fortunate to open up two
new opportunities: the launch of the MS
in Emergent Media in Shanghai, where
Chinese nationals will work alongside our
Vermont-based MFA students; and the
launch of Breakaway youth camps in El

Salvador, where Champlain undergraduates and MFA students trained facilitators
will assess Breakaway’s impact in changing
attitudes toward violence against women.”

CONNECTING CLASSROOMS
Other ways in which digital and emergent media have played a role in global
learning at Champlain is with the creation
of Third Planet, a social network for
global learning and exchange. It connects
Champlain’s home campus, programs
abroad, and a growing network of global
partners in higher education institutions,
and fosters a free exchange of ideas about
global issues, arts and culture, religion
and folklore, and many other facets
of contemporary life. Third Planet is a
project of Champlain College’s Institute
for Global Engagement (IGE) within the
Core Division, directed by Professor
Adam Rosenblatt.
“Champlain’s Core Division has been
ahead of the curve in many areas of
higher education,” said Rosenblatt,
“including interdisciplinary dedication
to ‘big question’-based learning, and
incorporating global perspectives into the
classroom. I am incredibly indebted in my
work to the commitment my colleagues
have to global learning, and especially
to Professor Garry Scudder’s pioneering
efforts in this area. Third Planet uses new

John Sawchak ’13 working an iconx skateboarding demo
at the Livingston American School in Shanghai.

technology, but it’s meant to build on the
kind of teaching the Core has already
been doing for years.”
The IGE seeks to foster a joyful sense
of curiosity about other cultures, geographies, and histories, and an awareness
of how these seemingly distant places
and viewpoints are often, in fact, already
in relationships of contact and influence
with students’ own homes and lives. In
the evolution from Global Modules to
Third Planet, IGE kept the same core
principles.
“Students at Champlain thus come to
expect, from their first year onward, that
‘class discussion’ will be among not only
groups of their peers on campus, but also
peers speaking from very different places
and backgrounds,” continued Rosenblatt.
IGE also runs the College’s new Global
Studies minor, which can be pursued by
undergraduate students in any major,
and is growing at a rapid pace.

GLOBAL INTERNSHIPS
“A major component of Champlain
College’s curriculum has always been
for our students to apply their classroom
knowledge to real-life work experience
within their major fields,” said Business
and Management Professor Tom Myers.
“I have managed hundreds of students
performing internships and special projects all over the world since 2001.
“This year I had the pleasure of sending
14 students from the Robert P. Stiller
School of Business to China for various
internships after the school received a
grant from the Freeman Foundation,”
he continued. “The internships included
positions in trade logistics, finance,
education, marketing, and manufacturing.
I had the opportunity to visit the students
toward the end of their 10-week internship
placements this past summer, and met
with their direct supervisors, who had
nothing but good things to say.”
Without variation, Myers reported, the
Chinese supervisors offered the same
three comments about the students: the
interns have a very strong work ethic, they
are ready and willing to try new experiences, and they are very positive with a
wonderful sense of humor. Additionally,
the supervisors told Myers that they would
love to have more student interns from

READY FOR REAL-WORLD JOBS
Champlain at any time in the future.
A handful of the experiences students
had while in Shanghai turned into job
offers.
John Sawchak ’13 is spending a year
and a half working for iconx and Wild
Rampage, LLC, a company promoting
skateboarding in China through retail
sales of the leading boardsport brands,
training riders of all ages, integrating
skateboarding into after-school programs,
and sponsoring events.
“Although I miss my era in Burlington,
it is amazing to be spending a year and
a half gaining invaluable experience in
Shanghai,” said Sawchak. “I am learning
how to run a small business in one of the
fastest-growing cities in the world—and
having fun while doing it. I am ecstatic
to be putting my education to use in a
relevant field.”
Patrick Dodge ’14 also interned with
iconx and Wild Rampage this summer,
and has been offered a position to return
to Shanghai post-graduation to help
manage the construction and operation
of the largest indoor skate park in China,
and perhaps, the world.
“We have also had students recently
intern in Dubai, Japan, South Korea,
and Russia, among other locations,”
said Professor Scott Baker, who teaches
advanced internship courses in the Stiller
School of Business. Various students from
all programs have held internships while
studying at the Montreal and Dublin
campuses, including marketing internships
with the very successful HIreland initiative
to kick-start the economy in Ireland by
creating jobs.
The Montreal campus, known for
being within one of the world’s leading

multimedia cities as well as a dynamic
business and design center, provides
students with great opportunities for
relevant internships in the fields of game
art, animation, and programming, marketing, graphic design, and international
business. The Champlain Montreal
staff works with students to find them a
worthwhile placement, where they gain
a unique international perspective on
the evolving workplace. Since 2008 there
have been over 50 students who have
held internships in Montreal, many of
which have secured full-time employment
post-graduation.
This global focus at Champlain College
leads to a more comprehensive network
of global partners and alumni around the
world. This international network assists
students and alumni in landing jobs,
traveling, furthering their education,
and more. The international education
opportunities at Champlain provide
students with a comparative advantage in
the global job marketplace and support
the 2020 Vision of being the premier
small, private college in the United States
with the added benefits of a professional
and global focus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kayla Hedman ‘14 is majoring in marketing
in the Stiller School of Business. In her time at
Champlain, she has traveled to Beijing, China,
and Jordan, and spent the summer as an
intern in Shanghai. She is also a Clinton Global
Initiative University campus representative
and attended the annual meeting last spring.
After graduation, she hopes to work in the
publications industry. Aside from travel, she
loves to write and blog about interior design.

Champlain View | Fall 13

7

THE “WOW”
MOMENT
Story by

Rob Williams
“Travel is fatal to
prejudice, bigotry, and
narrow-mindedness,
and many of our
people need it sorely on
these accounts. Broad,
wholesome, charitable
views of men and things
cannot be acquired by
vegetating in one little
corner of the earth all
one’s lifetime.”
– Mark Twain

O

n my Champlain faculty-led travel trips, I call it the “wow” moment.
“Wow” happens when our Champlain students fly halfway around
the world to Beijing, China, move through the planet’s second-largest
airport, and emerge, exhausted, out of the ground at the East Tiananmen subway
station, to face the world’s largest modern urban square—Tiananmen—on one
side, and the world’s most impressive palace—the Forbidden City—on the other.
A day later, they are hiking on top of the world’s longest architectural marvel—
the Great Wall of China—having traveled three hours to their destination but
STILL finding themselves within Beijing city limits. “Ni Hao, Zhongghuo.” “Hello,
China.” Wow.
We see “wow” when our Champlain students fly into Amman, Jordan, capital
city of the Middle East’s most tolerant and cosmopolitan Arab country, and
traverse the epic desert by foot, camel, Jeep, and bus. Arriving at the ancient
Nabatean city of Petra in southern Jordan at nightfall, they hike by luminaria
light through the smoothly carved snaking canyon and come face-to-face with
the Temple, a massive and intricately symboled ancient architectural masterpiece
towering overhead, lit by thousands of candles, reflecting the sound of the
ancient Bedouin flute and drum. “Ahlan wa Sahlan.” “Welcome” to the Middle
East. Wow.
The wow moment. All of us who travel experience it, when we cross over the
threshold from the routine and familiar to the new and unexplored, and suddenly
realize that we have arrived in terra incognita: a city, a country, a region that is
completely unfamiliar, an unknown world that at once welcomes us in and throws
us off balance, a place where we must get our game face on and confront a
different culture, with unique ways of seeing, feeling, sensing, and explaining
the world. Preparing students for the wow moment, getting out of the way of the
wow, and then facilitating post-wow reflections – this is the great challenge and
the wonderful reward of leading a faculty-led travel course at Champlain College.
Faculty-led travel trips first appeared on the college map five years ago,
as Champlain College moved to establish an ambitious vision to “be the
finest small, professionally and globally focused college in the United States
by 2020.” To that end, every Champlain student, regardless of professional
major, now engages with the global experience through Communicatons and
Creative Media elective courses, third-year Core Division classes, and study
abroad programs, which come in a variety of forms: semester-long immersive
experiences at Champlain campuses in Dublin, Ireland, and Montreal, Quebec;
global partner satellite campuses in Shanghai, China; Ifrane, Morocco; Auckland,
New Zealand; and Buenos Aires, Argentina; student-initiated third-party study
abroad opportunities; and Core Division travel courses led by Champlain faculty
members with an interest in specific regions of the world.
“What better way for a student who has embraced the Core experience to
expand that challenge than by packing a bag and traveling, taking learning
literally on the road?” exclaims Core Dean Betsy Beaulieu. “The world and its
people become the classroom; students engage in new and exciting ways and
return to us changed for life.”
Continued on page 10

8

Champlain View | Fall 13

Professors Rob
Williams and Miriam
Horne took to riding
camels during their
visit to Jordan in
the spring of 2013
with eight students
in the CORE 330
International Culture
Studies course.
(Photo by Kayla
Hedman â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;14)

Champlain View | Fall 13

9

BY THE NUMBERS:

“Traveling to Jordan gave me
an appreciation for a part of the
world I had very little knowledge
of, and deepened my love for
Middle Eastern food, especially
the spices. I am planning
to go back!”
– Abigail Clark ’13
A Jordanian bagpiper in an ancient amphitheater at Jerash,
in the north of Jordan. (Photo provided)

Since 2009, more than 100 Champlain students have
traveled with Core and CCM division professors to countries
as diverse as Italy, Japan, Morocco, Nicaragua, China, and
Jordan, immersing themselves in a wide range of subjects—
art, history, music, gaming, political science, religion,
community service, and of course, all things gastronomical
(everyone’s favorite).
Teaching several different faculty-led travel trips to China
and the Middle East has given me a deeper understanding
about why our students go this route. Many have never
traveled abroad before, and nine days in a distant land
offers a palatable alternative to the daunting prospect of
living abroad for an entire semester.
Others enjoy the opportunity to adventure with friends
to a distant place—travelers often find comfort in each
other’s company. For more seasoned students, our travel
courses offer adventure opportunities in places otherwise
unreachable—as with our trip to Jordan. Still other students
appreciate the intellectual “deep dive” that comes with an
entire semester of focused attention on a single country’s
history and culture. To wit: prepping for our Jordan travels
during the spring 2013 semester, we devoured a history
of “Trans-Jordan”; plugged into Al Jazeera to track the
country’s emerging news; read Our Last Best Chance: A
History of War and Peace, King Abdullah II’s new political
biography; learned and practiced basic Arabic words and
phrases; and schooled ourselves on Jordan’s many famous
archaeological and historical sites—before visiting them all
on our trip.

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Champlain View | Fall 13

From 2009 through 2013,
102 students have traveled abroad
via faculty-led trips.
• Reiko Kida took seven students
to Japan in 2009.
• In 2010, Joanne Farrell took 14
students to Morocco, and ToniLee Sangastiano took eight
students to Italy.
• The first China trip with Rob
Williams was in 2011, with 19
students; and Miriam Horne
took six students on a service
trip to Nicaragua.
• Williams took nine students to
China in 2011.
• In 2012 Michiko Oishi took six
students to Japan and Horne
took nine to Nicaragua.
• Sixteen students traveled to
Beijing, China, with Williams in
fall 2012.
• In spring 2013, Williams took
eight students to the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan.

Are students transformed by these trip-driven courses?
“Absolutely,” they say, as we regroup after our travel to
share stories, swap photos, and connect and reflect on our
“in-country” experiences with the in-class work completed
prior to travel. Meeting new people, eating unique food,
touring sacred sites, practicing a new language, connecting
texts to real-world experiences, and simply surviving with a
smile amid the often grueling rigors of a trip halfway across
the world—even the rough moments prove transcendent.
“The most profound transformations for students came
when we heard them tell stories about their experiences,
ways in which crossing borders emotionally, intellectually,
and physically allowed them to find their way home,”
explains Core Professor Joanne Farrell, who led a faculty
travel course for 13 students titled Crossing Borders:
Muslims and Morocco. “One student was able to re-connect
with her estranged father, for example, while another
claimed that stepping outside American culture helped
him to answer the question ‘What does it mean to be an
American?’” As Champlain College moves to enact its
globally focused 2020 Vision, faculty-led travel courses will
no doubt play an increasingly critical role in connecting
our Champlainers with a globalizing world—with a heaping
dose of “wow” in the mix for good measure.
Rob Williams, Ph.D teaches in the Core Division at
Champlain. A resident of the Mad River Valley, he publishes
Vermont Commons: Voices of Independence, consults with
PH-International, the U.S. Department of State, and the
College for America; and serves as the president of the
Action Coalition for Media Education.

FROM SASKATOON TO CUBA:

Teaching Culture in the Classroom
Story by

Abigail Clark ’13

H

olding dual citizenship with Canada, Assistant Professor Miriam Horne has always had a life revolving
around culture. During her undergraduate years, she
studied at Brigham Young University’s Center in London, where she traveled all over mainland Europe, the British
Isles, the USSR, and Israel with her school’s orchestra. After she
completed her undergraduate degree, she lived in Italy for a
year and a half as a Mormon missionary before moving back to
Canada for 15 years. Now Horne lives in South Burlington and
teaches in the Core Division at Champlain College.
“Study abroad remains to this day the most informative part
of my life. It informs who I am and what I teach,” she says.
Inspired by her travels, Horne sought to incorporate travel into
her courses. “Some students at Champlain have never been
out of Vermont. You have to be creative in helping them challenge their perspectives. My Canadian upbringing and travels
help me do that.”
When she first started teaching in the Core, Horne taught
Human Rights, but “after four semesters it got very depressing teaching and learning about all these issues and not being
able to do anything about it. I wanted to incorporate action. With the global component in the third year, I turned to
service-learning.”
Her first faculty-led travel course was to Nicaragua in 2011
with Kyle Dodson, director of Champlain’s Center for Service
& Civic Engagement. Students spent their spring break at
Compas de Nicaragua, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable
community development projects in Managua and La Paz.
Students were responsible for making the learning meaningful;
they each picked a human rights issue and studied it in both
Vermont and Nicaragua, where they had the chance to witness
firsthand accounts. “I’m limited to what I can teach in the classroom,” she says, “and one week abroad goes well beyond
what I could teach from a book in a semester.”
Horne returned to Compas de Nicaragua in 2012, but due
to low registration, she joined Professor Rob Williams on a trip
to Jordan in the spring of 2013 as a faculty chaperone.
Miriam has kept in touch with people she’s met on these
faculty-led courses, in particular with some of the women she
met at Compas de Nicaragua through their Women in Action organization. “Not a single day goes by I don’t think of
them,” she says, motioning to a photo in her office of Nina
and Mercedes. From Jordan, she keeps in touch with Raghda
Quandour, a Jordanian-Circassian who organized home-stays
and cultural activities while the group stayed in the capital

Miriam Horne, right, spend an afternoon with Herzalia Matineo Medrana,
head of the Brothers and Sisters in Reconciliation Cooperative in La Paz,
Carazo. (Photo provided)

city of Amman. “From these trips with students, I always find
these women with kindred spirits. I have so much to learn from
them.”
This coming spring she is excited to be leading students on
a trip to Cuba. “Few of these students have been to Cuba,
and many will never get the chance to go without taking an
educational course,” says Horne. With hopes of finding more
kindred spirits in Cuba, she adds, “The most powerful experience comes when students get to engage with the people of
where we are visiting.”
A majority of the trip will be spent in Havana, but while in
Cuba, students will also visit a school, a health facility, an art
rehabilitation center, and a sustainable farm, and will hear a
lecture from a Cuban scholar on Cuban-American relations.
Horne says, “These trips provide so much more than academics. They provide self-discovery, and perspective on how
to understand your place in the world and yourself.” Horne
has learned a lot about herself during her travels. She gained
a perspective on life, a national identity, and an understanding
of American and Canadian ethno-centrism.
“You have to go in with an awareness of your own biases
and what’s shaping them. If you can have the courage to let
go, your life will never be the same, so grab every opportunity
that you have to get to know the people where you are.”
Abigail Clark is a 2013 graduate of the Professional Writing
program. Champlain helped Clark travel to seven countries,
including Rob Williams’ trips to China and Jordan, and study
abroad at the Dublin, Ireland, campus. A wine enthusiast
and globe trotter, she aspires to be a travel writer. Currently,
Clark works in the College’s Marketing Department and at
Shelburne Vineyard.

Champlain View | Fall 13

11

Julia Haass ’15
came to Champlain after being
guaranteed one thing: she could
study abroad in Barcelona. Now in the
first semester of her junior year, this
guarantee is being fulfilled. “Barcelona
is all that I hoped for and more!”
said Haass, an International Business
(IB) major, who is no stranger to
international travel.
Haass, a native of Bavaria, Germany,
moved to Fort Collins, Colorado,
when she was 15. Since then, she has
grown considerably. “Traveling helps
me find myself. I am becoming more
comfortable being independent and
have found a courage that I didn’t
know I had.”

Haass visited Chefchaouen,
Morocco, also known as the
‘Blue City,’ for a weekend
during her semester abroad
in Barcelona. (Photo provided)

Stories by

Kayla Hedman ’14

GAINING
A GLOBAL
PERSPECTIVE
ONE COUNTRY
AT A TIME

Follow Haass’ travels on Instagram

jujuzela
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Champlain View | Fall 13

Here are some things Haass had to say
in our Skype interview:
What is your motivation to travel?
A few things: I travel so much because
I can’t remember not traveling; I have
traveled my whole life. Because of
this, the idea of settling in one place
is almost scary to me—I feel like I’d be
holding myself back from discovering
the world and myself. Also, as an IB
major, we are required to study abroad,
and I am taking full advantage of that!
So you chose to study abroad in
Barcelona, but how else are you taking
full advantage of study abroad?
As IB majors, we are required to spend
one semester abroad, but I actually
have a five-semester plan. People
think I’m crazy, but I’m so grateful
to have these opportunities. Before
going to Barcelona, I spent three
months of my summer in Shanghai
interning at Vermont International
Academy through the Stiller School of
Business and a grant from the Freeman
Foundation. Now I’m spending a
semester in Barcelona, and in the
spring I’ll be at Champlain’s Dublin
campus. Next summer I’m organizing
another summer internship in Brussels,

before following in the footsteps of
fellow IB majors Taylor Bentz ’13 and
Paxton Hall ’14 at the Thunderbird
School of Global Management in
Arizona to begin my master’s before
returning to Burlington for my last
semester in the spring of 2015. Phew!
Champlain is the only school that
allowed me to study abroad for that
long – nearly half of my college career.
How has Champlain’s Office of
International Education helped you?
The Office of International Education
has been a catalyst in my traveling—
it has turned my travels from
general tours to meaningful cultural
experiences. Champlain in general has
given me the education to understand
cultural differences, and not only
observe them.
You said you’ve been traveling as
long as you can remember. How many
countries have you been to?
Twenty-one. It’s worked out that I have
been to as many countries as I am old. I
plan to keep with that trend.

For the full list of countries Haass
has traveled to and an extended
interview, visit www.champlain.edu/
alumni/magazine-champlain-view

Haass smiles on the Great Wall of China
while on a weekend trip to Beijing during her
summer internship in Shanghai through the
Freeman Foundation and Stiller School of
Business. (Photo by Kayla Hedman ‘14)

MADE IN HAITI, FOR HAITI

Students Add Value and Sustainability to Aid
led the duo to create a market for these desirable ethically
produced goods, all with an attached benefit.
Arnoldy, a graduate of the Stiller School of Business’
International Business program, said her faculty advisor,
Scott Baker, directed them to Kathy Lynn, assistant director
of International Student Services. Lynn introduced Arnoldy
and McGuire to Billy St. Louis, a junior international
business student from Haiti. “He became an integral
member of our trip to Haiti in March,” said Arnoldy. “Billy
acted as a translator and could relate to the Port-au-Prince
locals on a different level.”
“Billy shares our vision that kids are the future,” said
McGuire. “We need to provide them the opportunity to
advance in education and make a difference to bring Haiti
out of its current state.

Samuel McGuire (bottom right) and Katie Arnoldy (above) have
developed lasting relationships with the Haitians they have helped.
(Photos provided)

A

fter past experiences with rehabilitation work in
Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, Champlain
students Katie Arnoldy ‘13 and senior Samuel
McGuire (Dec. ‘13) were dedicated to providing
sustainable aid to Haiti through economic stimulation.
Their ideas began with something as simple as a backpack,
handcrafted by Haitian artisans in Port-au-Prince.
Their business model developed into a ‘one for more than
one’ deal. For every backpack sold, one backpack filled
with school supplies and a hygiene kit is donated to a child
in need. On top of that, a portion of proceeds goes to an
education fund, which pays for school development, teacher
salaries, student tuition, and school lunches.

“It’s great to see a country like Haiti make progress,” he
continued. In a blog post reflecting on the mission of Edike
Ayiti, he states that the key to a bright future for Haiti lies
in inspiring the future generations to take control over their
own lives. “The school children we are working with in Portau-Prince are the poorest of the poor; we’ve done so much
by getting running water in their school, but with the help
of David Paquette ’13, we created a more extensive plan
with various stages.”
In July, Edike Ayiti was highlighted in a USA TODAY
College article titled, “In Haiti, a Garment Industry on the
Mend with Student Help.”
For more information, recent updates, and photos, visit
www.facebook.com/EdikeAyiti

Edike Ayiti, which is Haitian Creole for “Empower
and Educate Haiti” founders Arnoldy and McGuire have
distributed their first three production orders of waxed
cotton and leather tote bags and backpacks to backers
of their Indiegogo campaign and other supporters. Their
tagline, “Made in Haiti, for Haiti,” is a sustainable way
to give rise to economic stimulation. “There has been an
exceptional amount of ‘dead aid,’” said McGuire. “People
are pumping money into the country, creating a culture of
dependency, but nothing is being done to change it.”
McGuire’s background in media and photography, startup companies and the fashion industry, combined with
academic experiences in marketing at Champlain, have

Champlain View | Fall 13

13

TEACH FOR TOMORROW
In May, a group of 10 Champlain students spent three weeks at the
Malayaka House in Entebbe, Uganda.
The fourth annual Teach for Tomorrow trip was led by two Champlain staff members, Maggie Melvin, assistant director of the Center
for Service & Civic Engagement, and Abby Mendenhall, assistant
director of LEAD. The group volunteered at the Malayaka House, an
orphanage started by Robert Fleming in 2005 that provides a home as
well as education and vocational training for 36 children.
“What I learned and took away from this trip is going to impact me
forever,” explained Samantha Hoeltge ’15. With her were Billy Boos
‘14, Chloe O’Brien ‘15, Micheala Herrmann ‘15, Nina Knorr ‘15, Meg
Tighe ‘16, Billy St Louis ‘15, Chelsea Day ‘15, Fletcher Ramsey ‘14,
and Jess Lowell ‘14.
The Teach for Tomorrow trips have the same effect on students each
year; all students are left with the itch to go back and the desire to
serve. For information on the 2014 Malayaka House trip or Teach for
Tomorrow, email Maggie Melvin at mmelvin@champlain.edu

Diego’s Eyes. Nicole Handel ‘15 was volunteering at the
Malayaka House Orphanage in Entebbe, Uganda with
Chelsy Pillsbury ‘12 when she took this photo after making
cupcakes for the children. The photo earned an Honorable
Mention in the 2013 International Photo Contest.

SHANGHAI
MASTER
OF SCIENCE
Champlain College launched its
newest international program—Master of science in Emergent Media—in
Shanghai, China, on Oct. 24. The
opening ceremony was jointly hosted
by Provost Robin Abramson, Associate
Dean Ann DeMarle, and Ying Zhao,
vice president of education promotion
at North American High Tech Center
(NAHTC).
The MS in Emergent Media program
offers classes during the fall 2013 and
spring 2014 semesters at the Shanghai
campus, followed by a summer 2014
semester in Burlington.
The first graduate student cohort
is a dynamic group of young Chinese
adults working in diverse fields such
as IT, marketing, journalism, project
management, and traditional Chinese
art, according to DeMarle. The
Shanghai students will collaborate
during the 2014 spring semester via
teleconference with the Burlingtonbased MFA students.
A memorandum of understanding

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Champlain View | Fall 13

Learn more about the Master of Science in Emergent Media in Shanghai, China, at
http://www.champlain.edu/academics/graduate-studies/shanghai-ms-in-emergent-media

was signed by Frank Xiao Long Liu,
chairman/CEO of Jiu You Capital
Co. Ltd, Yong Zhang, chairman of
NAHTC, and Robin Abramson, provost
of Champlain College. James Cross,
associate provost of International
Education for Champlain College, also
attended the ceremony.
The first class of the semester was
conducted by Associate Professor
Dr. Geoff Bell. Students took part in
a team-building game to break the
ice, followed by learning strategies of
self-discovery. Students were already
bonding during class, and just as

their MFA counterparts in Burlington
created a Facebook group, the MS
students created a group-sharing
page on WeChat, a very popular social
media application in China.
“It is an honor to be part of
this contemporary and forwardlooking program that will reinforce
the inspiring mission and vision of
Champlain College. In addition, this
opportunity will help build and bridge
long-lasting and positive relationships
between the USA and China,” said
William F. Smith, academic program
director in Shanghai.

2013 Graduates’
Amazing Race
THE BLUE EYED
GRIZZLY CLAN
RALLIES FOR
A CAUSE
2013 Champlain graduates Wilson Slader (Social Work),
Alex Gunter (Communications), Chris Erickson (Graphic
Design), and Nick Lappen (Education), collectively known
as “The Blue Eyed Grizzly Clan,” opted to, in their words,
“spend [their] summer battling the hands of time that
would seek to force us apart
as we pursue our post-graduation dreams and aspirations.”
Throughout their senior
year, they invested a great
deal of time and effort to
ensure their participation
in the 2013 Mongol Rally, a
10,000-plus-mile charity road
race from London, England,
Marker signs along the way
to Ulannbaatar, Mongolia.
from England to Mongolia.
An Indiegogo campaign
fund-raising effort exceeded its goal to raise a total of
$4,275, and with the backing of a handful of other sponsors,
the team was on its way.

Champlain’s Blue Eyed Grizzly Clan and their car, “Steve French.”

The team discovered a whole new level of potholes along their journey.

The rally began July 13 and the team crossed the finish
line in Ulaanbaatar on August 21. They finished 111th out
of approximately 300 teams who began the rally, but ended
with a different car than they started with after a breakdown
in Ölgii, Mongolia, after about 7,000 miles.
The trip offered a rare glimpse of shifting cultures across
vast spaces of geography (their route took them through
over 20 countries), which the team has beautifully captured
through video, photographs, blogs, and artwork. As part of
the rally, the team raised $1,000-plus for two charities, Safe
Passage and Cool Earth.

For more photos and stories, retrace the
adventure on the group’s blog:
blueeyedgrizzlyclan.tumblr.com Something familiar about this fast-food stand made them stop.

Champlain View | Fall 13

15

FIRST PLACE: The Lone Parishioner. Cathedral of Our Lady Assumption,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A visitor takes a moment to pray
in the ruins of the main cathedral.
(Photo by Samuel McGuire ‘13)

SHUTTERBUGS
CHAMPLAIN INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTEST 2013
Every spring the Office of International Education calls
upon students, faculty, and staff to share their photos from
recent international travels. There are plenty of entries from
the places you would expect—Montreal and Dublin—but the
breadth of exotic places Champlainers visit is on display at the
annual competition. Some of the top photos from 2013 are
shared here, and you can see all of the images from this year
and past years’ contests at champlain.edu/view

FIRST PLACE: Kenya, Africa. Licking his lips,
this caracal is just finishing his lunch of a
desert rodent. He is able to leap over six feet
in the air to capture a bird from a standing
position. (Photo by Shelley Richardson)

THIRD PLACE: Haitian Fishermen. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Two
fishermen coming to shore with their daily catch along the north coast
of the Baie de Port-au-Prince. (Photo by Samuel McGuire ‘13)

SECOND PLACE: Italy in Color. Venice, Italy. This photo
was taken while on a gondola ride with “PopPop”
(grandpa) in Venice. (Photo by Nicole Handel ‘15)

Five years ago, Champlain College
embarked on an ambitious community
effort to build institutional momentum,
academic excellence and long-term
financial stability. Today, we celebrate
your generosity and our joint success.

Vision

Innovation
Passion
You Made It Happen!

Vision to develop a modern, beautiful campus

where students could live and learn.

Innovation to create Centers of Excellence

designed to give students real-world experience.

Passion to foster educational opportunities

for everyone through international study
opportunities and increased scholarships.

The Metz Studio Barn is home to the digital arts
center for graphic design and arts programs.
It is located west of Roger H. Perry Hall.

CHAMPLAIN
COLLEGE
PRESIDENT
DAVID F. FINNEY

THERE’S NO SUCCESS LIKE
EXCEEDING OUR GOALS
AND THAT IS WHAT
WE HAVE DONE TOGETHER.

THANK YOU!

M

y greatest pleasure as Champlain College
president is sharing with you our many
success stories: inspiring student outcomes,
faculty and staff accomplishments, the
College’s broad-based community involvement, and our
ambitious capital campaign.
There is no success like exceeding our goals, and that
is what we’ve done thanks to your generous support of
our Vision Innovation Passion Comprehensive Campaign.
We launched the campaign in 2008 with a goal of raising
$25 million. We are happy to report we concluded the
community effort this summer raising nearly $34 million.
We offer our sincerest gratitude to all the donors—
trustees, alumni, parents, corporate partners, staff, faculty,
and friends—whose remarkable, ongoing commitment
fuels Champlain’s momentum. Your gifts have helped us
move closer to becoming “The Ideal College,” described
recently in an Atlantic magazine profile of the College. We
constantly strive to be in the vanguard of higher education
with a career-focused curriculum, a strong liberal arts core,

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Champlain View | Fall 13

and a groundbreaking life skills program, which helps lead
our students to their dream careers and lifelong personal
fulfillment.
The spirit of Champlain’s motto, Audeamus, or “Let
Us Dare,” inspired our campaign, just as it does our
daily approach to educating students. In Champlain’s
tradition, a bold goal was set and then boldly met. The
success of this campaign makes it possible for more
students to live their dreams by ensuring continued
faculty and curricular excellence through innovation,
fortifying scholarships and financial aid, and supporting
energy-efficient capital projects that enrich our historic
neighborhood.
Your passion and philanthropy reinforce our reputation
as a college on a path of continuous improvement. As a
moving target, the future is always in Champlain’s sights.
Our students, and our society, benefit enormously from
this forward-thinking approach to education.
The campaign also brought us closer to our many
alumni in traditional, online, and master’s degree
programs. The level of support was demonstrated when
more than 2,000 alumni helped meet a challenge grant
for $2 million as we ended the campaign.
While Champlain’s reach is increasingly global, we
strive to keep our alumni close, support them in their
careers, and help them make a positive difference in
the world. Your vision, innovation, and passion make
Champlain’s 2020 Vision achievable and sustainable.
Thank you for your steadfast support.
President David F. Finney

A Compelling Mission Inspires Donor Support
2013 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CHAIR LAURA DAGAN
When LAURA DAGAN joined the Champlain
College Board of Trustees in 2006, she
gained a seat at the table—
and a huge new family.
That’s how she describes the Champlain
community of committed trustees, visionary
administrators, skilled faculty and staff,
enthusiastic students, supportive families,
and successful graduates.
“I am passionate about higher education
and its important role in shaping our world.
Champlain College has been a perfect fit
for me because of its vision, agility, and
continual innovation. I particularly enjoy
opportunities to engage with students,
faculty, and staff, and always come away
energized and impressed with the quality of
the entire Champlain community,” she says.

“I am passionate about higher
education and its important role
in shaping our world.”
Dagan recently retired from Dwight Asset
Management in Burlington, where she was
CEO and board chairperson.
As a trustee, and one of Champlain’s chief
cheerleaders and fundraisers, Dagan finds
her role is made easier by the College’s
growing—and glowing—sphere of influence.
“Champlain’s positive impact on the
community is widely recognized and
appreciated.”says Dagan, board
chairperson since 2011.
Dagan cites Champlain’s pillars of
professional career focus, integrated
liberal arts Core curriculum, and life skills
development in the Life Experience &
Action Dimension (LEAD) program as among
the College’s many distinctions.
“I am most impressed by Champlain’s
entrepreneurial approach to continually
providing a relevant educational experience
for students in a rapidly changing world,”
she says. “It is rewarding to see students’
passion and determination, and to
help them develop the experience and
skills to fulfill their dreams.”

W

ith a compelling mission and excellent leadership, Champlain College has become a leader
in new thinking for higher education. Throughout the Vision Innovation Passion Campaign,
friends, businesses, community members, parents, and
alumni showed how much they embrace Champlain’s
relevant, rigorous, and pragmatic approach to education
that prepares students for meaningful lives. In a thriving but
small state like Vermont, with so many important organizations that need support, it is extremely fulfilling to be involved with an institution that inspires such generous giving.
My deepest gratitude extends to all our donors, including many new friends of the College, and to President
David Finney, whose vision has helped propel Champlain so
very far. The campaign would not have been as successful
without the enlightened guidance of our campaign leadership by Trustee Emerita Dawn Terrill ‘88 and current Trustee
Michael Metz. Working with the talented and dedicated
trustees who believe deeply in Champlain’s mission is an
honor. The entire board’s tremendous support was crucial in
meeting our goal.
I’m proud of the widespread support from so many
donors who appreciate the Champlain College model. I am
also very proud of the transformational gift from the Stiller
Family Foundation and the opportunity to create the Stiller
School of Business. This is a powerful endorsement of the
value Champlain provides its students, local businesses, the
Vermont community, and beyond, and it allows us to build
upon our strong foundation of innovation.
I love being part of the Champlain family and am pleased
that my investment supports this innovative approach to
higher education. It’s a privilege to be associated with those
who recognize the importance of nurturing and supporting
Champlain’s mission. Thank you!
Laura Dagan

Champlain View | Fall 13

19

CAMPAIGN CHAIR MICHAEL METZ
AND VICE CHAIR DAWN TERRILL ‘88

Exceeding the Goal Despite Challenging Times
The return on investment that
Champlain College graduates experience is
as measurable today as it was when DAWN
TERRILL earned her Champlain Accounting
degree in 1988. That’s because the focus
remains what it always has been—students.
“My degree was the stepping-stone into
some amazing professional opportunities.
Champlain gave me what I needed to
succeed in the business world,” says Terrill,
vice-chair of the campaign and a trustee
from 2002 to 2012.
Terrill, of Colchester, Vermont, ultimately
parlayed the stepping-stone into ownership
of JaniTech, a commercial cleaning
company she bought and grew from a staff
of 12 to an enterprise with about
100 employees.

“My degree was the
stepping stone into some
amazing professional
opportunities.”
“Champlain has never lost sight of the
student as its product and the need to
continually refine the programs to give
students the best education possible. In my
tenure on the board, we added the Core
curriculum (the liberal arts component)
and financial literacy to every bachelor’s
degree. That’s a package unmatched in the
marketplace,” Terrill says.
“At a trustee dinner, a student shared that
Champlain opened his eyes to understanding
that ‘The world is my job market.’ That’s
transformational. That’s Champlain,” she says.

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Champlain View | Fall 13

F

undraising is as vulnerable to changes in the economic climate as anything else.
Fortunately, when you have a great story to tell, as Champlain College does, we
fundraisers have a rewarding job even in challenging times like the Great Recession. Thank you to all of our unsparing supporters—including our tireless trustee
ambassadors—who have helped make our job enjoyable during the Vision Innovation
Passion Campaign.
There’s no happier ending to Champlain’s story than affirmation that the College is on target with its mission to deliver a remarkable education. That success
is reflected every year in our career statistics. In the class of 2012, 88 percent
of surveyed traditional undergraduates who were employed within a year after
graduating were in jobs related to their career goals.
In significantly surpassing our $25 million goal, several initiatives deserve a
special thank you to those involved:
•

Two transformational gifts to Champlain totalling more than $15 million
and seven additional gifts of more than $100,000 each.

•

Scholarship fundraisers for our most disadvantaged students.

•

The 2K42M alumni challenge tied to the Stiller Family Foundation gift.

•

The Trustee Planned Giving Initiative.

•

The enhanced Trustees’ Leaders’ Circle.

•

The new Corporate Partner Award.

Whether large or small, each and every gift was seen as a vote of confidence in
the unique educational model that sets Champlain College apart from so many
other colleges and universities across the country.
We’re proud of our many campaign achievements with established and new
relationships that will take the College forward.
The campaign marks a transition for Champlain to the next generation of philanthropy. We’re excited about the tremendous growth and potential for future
giving in our alumni donor base. Your ongoing support is vital as the College
begins construction in 2014 of a Center for Communication and Creative Media.
Over the course of the campaign, we heard repeatedly that businesses love
that Champlain asks what the College can do for them and then delivers on it.
Delivering on a promise is a hallmark of the Champlain experience.
We asked for your help to fulfill the promises of the Vision Innovation Passion
campaign and you made it happen. We can’t thank you enough for your support.
Chair Michael Metz and
Vice Chair Dawn Terrill ‘88

“Whether large or small, each and every gift
was seen as a vote of confidence in the unique
educational model that sets Champlain College
apart from so many other colleges....”

The Metz Studio Barn
The Metz Studio Barn, located behind Roger H. Perry Hall, offers
Communications and Creative Media graphic arts and design
students state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. It was named this
fall to honor Campaign Chair Michael Metz and his wife, Denise
Shekerjian, for their generous investment of time and financial
support to the Vision Innovation Passion Campaign and
need -based scholarship programs for Champlain College students.

$34 MILLION
V i s i o n I n n ovat i o n P a s s i o n

The campaign goal of $25 million was
exceeded by $9 million. Here is how the
income was distributed:
$10.2 Million Capital/Construction
$8.4 Million

Endowment / Estate Gifts

$7.4 Million

Student Aid and Operations

$4.5 Million

Academic and Flagship

$3.5 Million

D istribution

Vision Innovation Passion
Students Helped “Make It Happen”
The name of this campaign has its roots with a group of Champlain
College marketing students in Nilda Kerr’s Branding class. Listening
to real clients’ needs (like those of Champlain) and proposing
solutions provides our students with hands-on experiences that help
them build an impressive portfolio of accomplishments.
Thanks to Dillon
Brooker, Matt
Rochward,
Jennifer Lapidow,
Dan Racowsky,
Courtney
Parkinson, Andrew
Jones, and Lyndsay
Lord for turning
their classroom
experience into
the theme of this
campaign.

fund scholarships, especially for under-served populations
hen the Champlain College Board of Trustees
of students like New Americans, single parents and firstvoted five years ago to approve a new compregeneration students.
hensive $25 million fundraising campaign, it’s
Champlain’s master plan showed the addition of five
safe to say very few could have imagined the challenges
major building priorities including renovation of Perry Hall,
the Great Recession would bring to Vermont, the nation
a new Communication and Creative Media addition to
and world.
Hauke Center and three residence halls and landscaping.
The College was just coming off a major community
The drive to provide state-of-the-art educational facilities
celebration of “50 Years on the Hill” highlighting that
and housing for Champlain students was moving forward
Champlain had grown from one building and 60 students
at a quickening pace. The
earning associates
renovated AIken Hall
degrees in 1958 to 42Looking back, it is amazing to see that
became home to the Core
plus buildings and more
the pace barely slowed at Champlain while Division. Ground was brothan 2,000 students
ken at what would become
earning undergraduate
the worst financial crisis since the
the Roger H. Perry Hall
and graduate degrees in
Great Depression was settling in.
Welcome and Admission
2008.
Center. It would later earn
Academic programs
LEED Platinum, the highest rating for sustainability and win
were humming along. A new study abroad campus in
awards for historic preservation and design.
Dublin opened and the Montreal program marked its first
Looking back, it is amazing to see that the pace barely
anniversary. Woodbury College became part of Champlain
slowed at Champlain while the worst financial crisis since
in August; The Emergent Media Center was setting up in
the Great Depression was settling in.
the Winooski Mill, and the Core and LEAD programs were
Careful resource management and the nimble ability to
building out their curriculums.
take advantage of cost-savings in construction, allowed
Champlain continued to strive to increase its capacity to

V ision I nnovation P assion
important projects like Perry Hall, the new
residential hall projects and the acquistion of
several important properties to proceed on
schedule despite the economic downturn.
Facing perhaps the greatest challenges were
those whose job it was to raise the money. The
Great Recession created a difficult fundraising
climate for organizations big and small. Still in
2010, two years into the $25 million campaign,
nearly 75 percent of Champlain’s faculty and staff
had contributed.
It was clear that those who knew Champlain
best, remained passionate about the innovative
vision of the College to achieve its goals.
Relationships with alumni and employers
were strengthened as new programs in digital
forensics, emergent media, game design, professional writing and international business grew in
prominence. The Champlain College Summit on
Appreciative Inquiry in August 2011 opened new
doors to relationships with Vermont employers.
The update of the Champlain 2020 Vision in
2012 refined the steps necessary for Champlain
to become the finest small, professionally and
globally focused college in the United States.

Bob and Holly Miller maintained their longtradition of support through the construction of
the Miller Center at Lakeside. The new building
allowed the College to consolidate administrative
services and centers of excellence under one roof
and freed up classroom and office space on the
main campus.
Behind the scenes, President David Finney and
the Campaign Cabinet, led by Michael Metz and
Dawn Terrill ‘88, were laying the groundwork for
what would become a transformational
$10 million gift from the Stiller Family
Foundation and the creation of the Stiller
School of Business in fall of 2012.
In atypical fashion, the last fiscal
year of the five-year campaign saw more
than $15 million added to the tally,
among those numbers - seven families
contributing more than $100,000 each.
And finally, Champlain alumni - new and
old - met the “2K42M” participation
challenge earning a $2 million gift.
All total, nearly $34 million was raised,
well-over the $25 million goal set in 2008.

story
and photos
by Stephen Mease

Photos from left:
•

The Roger H. Perry Hall
Welcome and Admission
Center.

•

Students and employers mix
at the Vehicle For a Better
Life benefit for scholarships.

•

The Communications and
Creative Media addition to
Hauke Center expects to
break ground in spring 2014.

•

The Admissions Office
Student Ambassadors on
the balcony of the IDX
Student Life Center.

The Stiller Family’s philanthrophy was
honored this year at the national level by
the Association for Fundraising Professionals.
Pictured at the celebration, from left, Champlain
College Trustee David Stiller G’12,
Christine and Bob Stiller, and
Christian Stiller ‘12.

Bob &
Christine
Stiller

Transformational Gift Will Change
How Businesses Strive for Success

R

obert and Christine Stiller are no strangers to the
power of innovation. As the founder of the
Waterbury, Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee
Roasters, Bob Stiller created a business known for
its pioneering work environment and revolutionary focus
on social responsibility. And in April, the couple’s Stiller
Family Foundation received the 2013 Most Outstanding
Foundation Award from the Association of Fundraising
Professionals, partly for its commitment to exploring new
ways to take leadership roles in community affairs.

Both this vanguard spirit and the extraordinary generosity
behind it are found in the Stillers’ recent gift to Champlain
College. The $10 million donation from the Stiller Family
Foundation is the largest single gift in the College’s history
and accompanies the renaming of the Business division to
the Robert P. Stiller School of Business. The gift also was
transformational for the Vision Innovation Passion campaign.
“We have great faith in Champlain College. Our two sons,
Christian and David, are alumni of the school, and their experiences at Champlain made us greatly appreciate its methods
and practices,” says Bob Stiller. “We want to help Champlain
accomplish its goals and vision to become the finest small,
professionally and globally focused college in the U.S.”

To that end, the Stiller School of Business will be a national leader in strength-based management practices such as
Appreciative Inquiry, a systemic approach to change that
engages people at all levels of an organization and its
stakeholder community, which is a particularly effective tool
for managing rapid growth.
As part of this effort, the Stillers’ gift will be used to fund
Appreciative Inquiry programs for state and regional companies and organizations; endow two Business School chairs
with a positive-psychology management focus; make vital
capital investments in Perry Hall; and build a new Center for
Communication and Creative Media beside the Hauke Family
Campus Center. The new facility will free up space in the
S.D. Ireland Center for Global Business and Technology so all
Business faculty and programs will be located in one building.

“We believe that to redefine business, it is
necessary to introduce new thinking into how
business is taught to the next generation
of leaders and entrepreneurs,”

- Bob Stiller
Part of the $10 million gift was the 2K42M challenge
grant, which earmarked $2 million to the Vision Innovation
Passion campaign if at least 2,000 alumni made a donation
of any size by June 30, 2013.
“The future of any college rests with the success and
generosity of its alumni,” says Stiller. “The individuals who
support Champlain have altered the landscape of the College and have had a lasting impact on the lives of every
student.
“We hope that because of this gift, graduates of the Stiller
School of Business will benefit from a distinctive business
education that will positively influence them personally as well
as their organizations throughout their careers,” Stiller says.

ou don’t have to look far to see the enormous
impact that Holly and Bob Miller and their family
business, R.E.M. Development of Williston,
Vermont, have had on Champlain College. Thanks
to their remarkable generosity of more than $8 million,
the College has two facilities and several endowed funds
that help position Champlain on the leading edge of
21st-century learning.
Champlain’s Miller Information Commons, made
possible by a substantial gift from the Millers and R.E.M.
Development, integrates traditional library resources with
advanced technologies, including online databases and
scholarly resources, multimedia labs, wireless networking,
personal computer banks, and electronic classrooms. The
Miller Commons, which opened in 1998, won the 2012
Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from the
Association of College and Research Libraries.
The Millers also contributed $2.2 million to the College’s
Power of Three campaign, in part to support the creation
of Champlain’s first endowed chair to honor Champlain’s
sixth president, Roger H. Perry.

The Miller Center Lakeside campus provides hundreds of
parking spaces that meet the College’s objective to
dramatically reduce vehicular traffic on and near the main
campus. And the building’s location in Burlington’s South
End has expanded the role Champlain has played in the
city’s annual South End Art Hop by supplying space for art
exhibits and special events related to the Hop.
The Millers’ many gifts to the College have enhanced the
education of countless students. And they’re also a vibrant
testament to the family’s belief that every young person
deserves the opportunity to reach his or her full potential, a legacy that can be found in the couple’s many other
Vermont projects, from a community center in Bradford to
a scholarship program for Burlington’s inner city youth and
the city’s King Street Youth Center.
“As young people, Holly and I never had the means to
get an education,” says Bob Miller. “We were originally
attracted to Champlain College because of its no-nonsense,
career-focused education. The campus and programs have
changed, but Holly and I have continued to support
Champlain because it never loses sight of its mission.”

In 2011, the Millers continued their extraordinary service
to the Champlain community with the construction of the
Miller Center at Lakeside Campus. In addition to providing
a high-tech home for many Champlain departments, the facility houses the Continuing Professional Studies program,
the Center for Professional & Executive Development, the
Senator Patrick Leahy Center for Digital Investigation, and
the Emergent Media Center in 36,000 square feet. There’s
even a small rooftop solar farm to power the building’s
basic needs.
“We support Champlain College to help it move to ever
higher levels of excellence and innovation,” says Holly
Miller, who was a Champlain trustee from 1992 to 2007
and board chairperson for two years.
Bob and Holly Miller of Burlington.

Champlain View | Fall 13

25

Winthrop
Smith Jr.
& Lili Ruane
WINTHROP SMITH JR.
AND LILI RUANE

A

s a small college with extraordinary achievements
and goals, Champlain College has won over
Winthrop “Win” H. Smith Jr. and his wife,
Lili Ruane.
Their involvement with the College, through the Build
Your Own Business (BYOBiz) program, Vermont First and
Single Parents scholarship funds, is inspired by Champlain’s
impact on students and the community, and impact of
students on the world.
“It’s a good feeling to see young people thrive in
a supportive environment and become valuable and
productive members of society,” says Smith, principal
owner and president of Sugarbush Resort in Warren,
Vermont. “I’ve been extremely impressed with Champlain’s
curriculum, which focuses on both a liberal arts education
and preparation for the real world.”
For Ruane, hearing about the real-world experiences
of scholarship recipients is enough to affirm support of
the College.
“What an enormous difference these opportunities make
in the lives of students who, because of their circumstances,
would otherwise not have an opportunity to grow and
succeed in the world. Helping single parents navigate
through the challenge of being a parent and getting a
degree changes the course of their children’s lives.

Improving
Access to
College

The Vermont First scholarship (for first-generation Vermont
college students) also gives families the opportunity to
change their destiny with the gift of education,” she says.
At the annual Vehicle to a Better Life scholarships benefit
event, students give testimonials. “It is so moving to
hear their stories and know that every donation makes an
enormous difference in so many lives,” Ruane says. “There’s
at least one part of the evening when there’s not a dry eye
in the house. It makes you want to give.”
Smith, who received Champlain’s 2012 Distinguished
Citizen award, is on the executive advisory board of the
BYOBiz program, which helps student entrepreneurs
develop businesses. He was featured in the inaugural
Speaking from Experience Entrepreneurship Lecture Series.
“BYOBiz is a unique program that offers students the
opportunity to build a business plan and test their ideas
while still in college,” Smith says. “It’s where students think,
imagine and become entrepreneurs. It allows an element of
realism as well as the opportunity to dream.”
The couple encourage others to engage with Champlain
and learn about the accomplishments of the College and its
students. “Champlain is a campus that’s being developed
without an endowment,” Smith says. “Take time to find
out more about Champlain and its unique and effective
approach to education, and support them in their mission.”

Alumni Meet the Participation Challenge of ‘2K42M’
On June 30, the Advancement Office announced it had
met an ambitious 2K42M Challenge Goal, surpassing 2,000
alumni donors (including the Class of 2013) and securing a
$2 million gift for the College.
A portion of the $10 million gift received from the Stiller
Family Foundation was designated as a $2 million challenge
grant. A long-term goal is to build institutional capacity
through increased alumni annual support.
A concerted effort, including letters from professors and
alumni asking for support through traditional and social media
outlets helped drive the effort to success with 2,144 alumni
donors raising $455,188.
Thank you to all the alumni who contributed to 2K42M.

26

Champlain View | Fall 13

The ‘Recipe
for Success’

–Photo Caption

An evening of celebration was held
for leadership donors in October to
announce the successful completion
of the campaign, introduce them to
recent graduates, and let them know
how their investments were being
used. The “Recipe for Success”
theme brought out chef’s hats,
aprons, and a fair number of cooking
metaphors. Thank you gifts included
favorite recipes from the Campaign
Cabinet and Champlain honey from
the College’s student apiary.

Top chefs Michael Metz, David F. Finney, and
Dawn Terrill report the results.

Irene Webster entertained the guests who gathered on Oct. 17 to celebrate the success of the Campaign.

(Photos by Stephen Mease)
Champlain View | Fall 13

27

McClure Scholars
Since 1972, the top student in each class
receives an honorary gift from the J. Warren
and Lois McClure Scholarship Fund. Both the
McClures were on the Champlain Board of
Trustees in the 1970’s and leave this lasting
tribute to our students. From left, the 2013
honorees: Matthew Prahl ‘15, Jennifer Martin
‘13, President David F. Finney, Trustee Emerita
Lois McClure, Evan Sehr ‘14, and Shannon
Mitchell ‘16.

From left, Nancy Conant Armell, Donna
Pizzagalli, Gina (Pizzagalli) Plunkett ‘86,
and John Conant.
To make a gift in support of this
challenge before Dec. 31, 2013,
please contact Moneer N. Greenbaum,
leadership giving director, at (802)
865-5426 or moneer.greenbaum@
champlain.edu.

T

he Champlain College Single
Parents Program is the recipient
of a $100,000 challenge grant
from Donna and Remo Pizzagalli. The
Pizzagalli’s gift was announced at the
annual Champlain College Women
Supporting Education for Women
benefit in Shelburne this fall.
The Pizzagallis chose to honor their
dear family friend and former Champlain
College employee Patricia Conant, who
passed away from cancer in February,
by matching all contributions to the
Single Parent Program this year dollarfor-dollar up to $100,000. Their gift also
establishes a permanent endowed fund
in Conant’s honor to support the Single
Parents Program in perpetuity.
“We are honored to be able to
establish this scholarship in memory of
Pat, an incredible woman who gave of
herself to all she came in touch with,
especially her students,” said Donna
Pizzagalli.
Remo and Donna, and their two
children, Peter ‘89 and Gina ‘86, shared
many holidays with the Conant family.
Since it began in 1987, the Champlain
College Single Parents Program has
graduated 580 single parent students.
In addition to scholarship support,

participants receive personal counseling
and support services that help ensure
their success.
Conant was a single parent for many
years, as her husband passed away
prematurely. After graduating from
UVM in 1958, she began working
for Champlain College, where she
worked for 48 years. In the early days,
Champlain employees engaged in many
different roles—Conant was a teacher,
mentor, career counselor, admissions
representative. Throughout her career,
the role she was most passionate about
was recruiting and helping students like
those in the Single Parents Program.
“She worked as an advocate for
nontraditional students, like single
parents. She would assure them that
they would find a home at Champlain
and would be able to succeed at their
studies,” says Shelley Richardson, vice
president for Advancement.
“She facilitated scholarship grants
and identified mentors for this special
population of students to turn to for
support. She cared deeply for her
students and felt a special bond with
single parent scholars, personally
understanding the challenges they
faced.”

Learn more about how you can support Champlain College through leadership
giving, need-based scholarship and program funds, named and memorial funds, and
estate planning. Contact the Champlain College Office of Advancement at
(802) 383-6620 or toll-fee at (866) 421-7170. Or visit online at
www.champlain.edu/support or advancement@champlain.edu.

28

Champlain View | Fall 13

THE ATLANTIC CALLS CHAMPLAIN

“AN IDEAL COLLEGE”
The Atlantic featured Champlain College as a model for what an ideal college would
look like. Magazine writer and higher education expert John Tierney highlighted
Champlain College as an institute of higher education that meets and exceeds
expectations. The article is part of the larger “American Futures” project, a series of
articles in which well-known writers James and Deborah Fallows examine small, resilient
American cities that are home to intriguing innovations and entrepreneurship.
The online series, being produced in conjunction with National Public Radio’s
Marketplace program, is highlighting small cities like Burlington, which is home to many
innovative companies and organizations. The Fallows have published pieces on Dealer.com,
Seven Days newspaper, Burlington International Airport, the Vermont Refugee
Resettlement Program, the Sustainability Academy, and the Alchemist Brewery. The
University of Vermont and St. Michael’s
College were featured in a separate
article, and Champlain’s story was
In its profile on Champlain in the
published on Oct. 21.

ONE OF THE BEST

“Best 378 Colleges” 2014 Edition,
The Princeton Review praised the
College it for its “excellent professors,
innovative classes and an inviting smallclassroom environment,” and quoted
extensively from Champlain students
surveyed for the book.

In mid-September Champlain
welcomed Tierney, a retired professor
of American government at Boston
College, to campus to interview administrators, faculty, staff, and students and
find out what makes Champlain unique.

In his article, Tierney presents his
vision of an ideal college to look
something like the following: a place
“...very interactive, conversational
where “students would acquire training
and friendly.”
that makes them immediately employable. They’d take courses in the liberal
“...Serious about doing big things
arts that would sharpen their skills in
and going far in life.”
writing, analysis, and reasoning. And
they’d graduate with some real-life knowledge, such as how to interview for a job. There’d
be no tenure for faculty, but instructors would be made to feel they’re valued members of
the enterprise. And administrators would constantly ask themselves, ‘how can we prepare
students for what the world needs of them?’” He writes how Champlain meets every aspect
of this ideal vision and, in the process, is gaining the attention of the higher-ed world.

“...as a whole, students are
noticeably goal oriented.”

Tierney quotes President David Finney’s perspective on the College’s unusual DNA—it’s
an intensely personal place where career-driven students are persistent in their studies,
gaining employment experience, doing professional networking, serving their community,
and learning real-world skills. Read the full article at http://ow.ly/q2i6v.

NUMBER ONE
“UP AND COMING”
Champlain College has been
named the number one “Upand-Coming” regional college
in the North in the 2014 edition
of “America’s Best Colleges,”
released this fall by U.S. News
& World Report. The “Up-andComing” ranking comes from a
survey of college administrators
in spring 2013 who were
asked to nominate institutions
that they think have recently
made the most promising
and innovative changes in the
areas of academics, faculty,
student life, campus, or
facilities. Champlain College
was most often cited by
college presidents, provosts,
and admissions deans who
were asked to identify up to
10 “up-and-coming schools.”
Champlain was the only
regional college listed in the
North. Only two other regional
colleges were listed in the
South and none in the Midwest
or West regions.

Financial Literacy Center Report Card
Responding to a national need to produce more
financially literate citizens, Champlain College’s
Center for Financial Literacy issued a report card
this summer that graded all 50 states on their efforts
to strengthen personal finance education in high
schools. The report earned national attention through
Marketwatch.com and news outlets across the U.S.
See how your state did and read the full report at
http://www.champlain.edu/centers-of-excellence/
center-for-financial-literacy

Champlain View | Fall 13

29

NEWS

&

NOTABLES

STAY CLASSY.... GOOGLE GLASS

LCDI Director Jonathan Rajewski
G’09 demonstrates the power
of Google Glass and how it is a
transformative technology in the
classroom.

GIG COLLEGE
This fall, Champlain College began
providing campus residential students
with gigabit access Internet service.
The program takes advantage of
the city of Burlington’s world-class
fiber-optic network, able to deliver
symmetrical speeds 100 times faster
than the national average. The service
will help to attract new technology
businesses, enhance education and
research, and attract entrepreneurs
and help keep graduates in Vermont.
“We think our ability to provide nextgeneration Internet capacity to our
students and faculty will be a major
factor in helping to attract top students
to our award-winning Champlain
programs in cybersecurity, game
design, and digital forensics,” said
David Provost, senior vice president
of Finance and Administration at the
College. He also serves on the “BTV
Ignite” Mayor’s Advisory Board, a
new partnership between the City of
Burlington and Ignite US.
“Because we have the infrastructure
at Champlain and in Burlington, this
will be a major economic development
tool for the region moving forward. It
will help support our graduates being
able to stay in Vermont and work,” he
said.
The gigabit service will also enhance
work at the Leahy Center for Digital
Investigation and the Emergent
Media Center. Using the citywide
gigabit network, both of the College’s
technology Centers of Excellence will
be able to develop groundbreaking
programs and services without the
usual constraints of Internet capacity.
Learn more at www.btvignite.com

30

Champlain View | Fall 13

Google Glass, the voice-controlled glasses that act as a
wearable computer, recently became available to a handful
of initial testers, including LCDI Director Jonathan Rajewski
G’09. He has been using it in his classes and offering
seminars and workshops to introduce the new technology
to students, educators, and area businesses. He also wore
Google Glass while running in the New York City Marathon
in November. Follow him at https://twitter.com/jtrajewski.

TEACHER APPRENTICE PROGAM JOINS CPS
Vermont’s Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP) joined the Division of
Continuing Professional Studies this summer. Scott Mosher, director of the
TAP program, said, “our goal is to expand within Vermont and eventually
other states. Delivering our seminars and workshops in Champlain’s online
course system will certainly play a large role in our national growth.” Mosher
notes that the program’s tuition of $10,900 is a large part of the appeal of the
program, as is the fact that the apprenticeship is completed in eight months. The
Teacher Apprenticeship Program was created in 2002 by the Chittenden Central
Supervisory Union. Through TAP, adults with a bachelor’s degree and significant
work experience complete an eight-month apprenticeship to earn their teaching
license. To learn more about the TAP program, and how to get started, call (802)
238-9637 or visit www.tapvt.org.

LATE NIGHT STARDOM
Champlain junior Broadcast and
Streaming Media major Jack
Carpenter was featured in a segment
called “Instant Rappers” on Late Night
with Jimmy Fallon in August. After
auditioning for a chance to be in this
segment, Carpenter was tasked with
writing a rap with the title “Froggy
Style” in 40 minutes, then performing
it on the NBC show. Carpenter recently
premiered his own talk show, Lake
Night with Jack Carpenter, which can
be found on his YouTube account
Jack Carpenter ‘15 and Jimmy Fallon before
Jackinthebox1313 or on Burlington’s
Carpenter’s live performance of “Froggy Style”
Channel 16 RETN Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

SOCIAL WORK EARNS CSWE ACCREDITATION
The Champlain College Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program has
been granted initial accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education
(CSWE). Earning an accredited degree offers a tremendous benefit to current and
future students in the BSW program. “CSWE accreditation gives our graduates an
advantage in the field and also allows them to obtain a graduate degree in less
time. This is a big plus for them as they think about furthering their careers,” said
Champlain College Provost Robin Abramson. Champlain College is one of only
three institutions in the state of Vermont to offer a CSWE accredited Bachelor of
Social Work degree, and one of only 26 in the entire New England region.

MEET THE NEW DEANS
Communication & Creative Media
(CCM) Paula Willoquet-Maricondi has
a Ph.D. in comparative literature and
film studies from Indiana University.
Prior to coming to Champlain, she
was a professor of media arts at Marist
College and held dual administrative
appointments as interim assistant
dean of the School of Communication
and the Arts and chair of the Media
Arts Department.
Education & Human Studies (EHS)
Laurel Bongiorno has been a fulltime faculty member at Champlain
since 1999. Bongiorno earned her
Ph.D. in education, specializing in
early childhood education, at Walden
University in 2012. Beginning in
2011, she was the program director
and driving force of the Master
of Education in Early Childhood
Education program at Champlain.
Information Technology & Science
(ITS) Thomas Mann is interim dean
of the ITS Division. He brings to
Champlain 13 years of administrative
experience as chief academic officer
at Graceland University and West
Virginia Wesleyan College, and 10
years as president/CEO of Davis &
Elkins College. In addition to global
education, Mann counts strategic
planning, assessment of student
learning, and institutional/specialized
accreditation among his special
academic interests.
Robert P. Stiller School of Business
(SSB) Wesley Balda has a Ph.D. in
history (organizational sustainability)
from the University of Cambridge.
He has served as a faculty member
and in many academic administrative
roles at the School of Management
at the George Fox University, Hope
University, St. George’s University,
University of Oregon, and the
Peter Drucker Graduate School of
Management at Claremont Graduate
University. In 1991, he founded
the Simeon Institute, a nonprofit
organization that specializes in crisis
management and continuity planning
for educational and healthcare
institutions.

The second Imagine College class of high school students from the Northeast enjoyed
a week of classes, workshops, and fun this summer as they learned about attending college.

IMAGINE COLLEGE OPENS DOOR TO POSSIBILITIES
Champlain College’s pre-college and college success initiative, Imagine College,
brought 25 students from Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York to campus
this summer. The six-day immersion program is designed to help create college
access for underserved populations, help them continue to graduation, and
prepare them for a life of career and personal success in which they can serve as
agents of positive change in their community. “We believe students will benefit
from the additional support to develop and strengthen their vision for attending
college and help them navigate the often complicated college-entry process,”
said Ame Lambert, Imagine College program facilitator and chief diversity officer
in Champlain’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).

Paula WilloquetMaricondi

Laurel Bongiorno

Thomas Mann

Wesley Balda

Photos by Stephen Mease

RESIDENCE HALLS ON SCHEDULE
Butler and Valcour Halls are well under way on the northwest side of campus.
These two dormitory buildings will resemble Juniper Hall, completed in
the fall of 2012, and together house 180 students. Within the triad of
buildings, Champlain College campus planning is creating a campus green
amphitheater. Both halls are expected to be completed by the fall of 2014.
A rehab of adjacent Whiting Hall will begin in December.

Champlain View | Fall 13

31

AWARDS

&ACCOLADES

CHAMPLAIN NAMED A
NATIONAL CENTER OF
DIGITAL FORENSICS
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

2013 Distinguished Citizen
Rita Markley of COTS and
President David Finney.

DISTINGUISHED
WOMEN HONORED
Champlain College honored
longtime Burlington homeless
advocate Rita Markley with the 2013
Champlain College Distinguished
Citizen award at Convocation. Markley,
executive director of the Committee
on Temporary Shelter (COTS), spoke
to the incoming class of 2017 about
the benefits of community service
and praised the College for its pivotal
leadership role in helping organizations
such as COTS and others.
Also honored was Ann McCluskey of
South Burlington as Champlain College
Faculty Emerita. McCluskey began
her career with Champlain in 1969
and retired in 2000 with the rank of
professor. During her time as a faculty
member at Champlain, McCluskey
taught English. She also served as
English Department chair, Arts and
Sciences Division Chair, and Faculty
Senate president for two terms.

Champlain College has been
designated a National Center of
Digital Forensics Academic Excellence
(CDFAE) by the Defense Cyber Crime
Center (DC3). Champlain is the first
school in the Northeast, the only
private college, and the fifth higher
education institution in the country to
receive this distinction.
As a CDFAE, Champlain meets or
exceeds the standards set forth by
the DC3 to be leading educators of
future digital forensics professionals.
The College has produced highly
sought-after graduates within its digital
forensics and cybersecurity programs,
many of whom have received job offers
across a broad range of industries well
before graduation.
The CDFAE designation is the
most recent recognition the College
has received for excellence in digital

forensics and cybersecurity education.
Champlain was also named a Center
of Academic Excellence in Information
Assurance Education by the National
Security Agency and the Department
of Homeland Security, as well as a
Model Electronic Crime and Digital
Investigation Programs institution
by the National Institute of Justice.
Additionally, the College was named
Best Cyber Security Higher Education
Program for 2013 by SC Magazine.
“Being the first school in the
Northeast to receive the DC3
designation as a CDFAE is an
incredible honor,” said Jonathan
Rajewski, assistant professor and
director of the Senator Patrick Leahy
Center for Digital Investigation at
Champlain College. “Our educators
work diligently to ensure our
students are equipped with the
latest technology and knowledge
available in digital forensics, and by
being designated as a CDFAE, we are
ensuring that our curriculum aligns with
the growing needs of the cybersecurity
industry.”

LOGIC SUPPLY GETS “PARTNER AWARD”
Logic Supply in South Burlington, Vermont, a provider of specialized computer
systems for industrial and embedded applications, received the inaugural
Corporate Partner Award from Champlain College in May.
“This new Corporate Partner Award is a way for Champlain to recognize
and thank those businesses and business leaders who play a vital role in
strengthening the economic vitality of Vermont and beyond by collaborating
with us to provide industry with an educated workforce that is ready to help grow
emerging and established businesses,” explained Champlain President David
Finney.
The award was given to Roland and Lisa Groeneveld, who founded Logic
Supply in 2003, at the Vehicle for a Better Life Scholarship event in June.

SENIOR HONORED FOR ACTIVISM & LEADERSHIP

Faculty Emerita Ann McCluskey and
Provost Robin Abramson.

32

Champlain View | Fall 13

Champlain College student Rebecca Carlson ’14 has been selected to
receive an honorable mention for the College Women’s Leadership Award,
a national award for social activism and political engagement. The award
recognizes young women from all over the country who exhibit outstanding
leadership skills as well as a commitment to social activism or political
engagement. Carlson, originally from East Hanover, New Jersey, is majoring
in Environmental Policy and minoring in Business Administration. She is
president of the College’s environmental club.

SAY HELLO TO THE

CLASS OF 2017
(Photos by Stephen Mease)

The end of August is
always an exciting time on
campus when the firstyear students arrive with
loaded cars, anticipation,
and expectations of the
experience ahead.
Here’s a look back at that
exciting first weekend:
Clockwise: Upperclassmen
help unload the cars;
Senior Orientation Leader
Kate Young offers an
enthusiastic shout-out
on Rozendaal Courtyard;
Hugs goodbye on Aiken
Lawn after lunch; Student
Government Association
President Chelsea
Hutchings ‘14 gives her
welcome speech at Friday’s
Convocation at Perry Hall.
Below: The Class of 2017
photo taken Sunday
afternoon on Aiken Lawn.
See more photos online at
champlain.edu/view

Champlain View | Fall 13

33

Meet the Composer
of Our Alma Mater

By Kayla Hedman ’14

T

JAMES
BEAMS

his past year I had the
pleasure of joining Champlain
College registrar Becky
Peterson in the singing of
Champlain’s alma mater at the 135th
Commencement ceremony. Having attended the Commencement ceremony
the previous year, I was not surprised
by the fact that no graduating students knew the tune to sing along to.
Not only that, but I myself didn’t even
know the words or tune before Becky
e-mailed me a demo.
The problem is that the song
surfaces only twice a year: once at
opening Convocation when we
welcome first-year students, and again
at Commencement when we
acknowledge students’ completed
journey at Champlain.
The tune was first documented in the
1965-66 Champlain College handbook,
The Rudder, where the music was
credited to a J. Beams. The lyrics were
then published in the 1966 yearbook,
at a time when the College’s Glee Club
would be joined by the rest of the
student body and perform the song at
major events, and it was inconsistently
referenced from there on out.
After spending a morning doing

research in the Champlain College
Library with archivist Erica Donnis, I
learned a lot about the school through
the 1960s but did not have much luck
identifying J. Beams. I did, however,
learn how the College was run, I saw
many respected faculty and staff
members of the past who have since
been honored with residence halls and
academic buildings in their name, I
was introduced to a student body that
was here on the hill for two years (as
Champlain was still a junior college at
the time), and I got to see a campus
much different from the one we stroll
through today.
With a failed search in the yearbooks, I turned to the white pages,
hoping to find a local of the same
name. I stumbled upon a James Beams
in Richmond and worked up the
courage to give him a call. I wasn’t
sure what to expect, until I was left
a voicemail in response: “Yes, I did
write the Champlain College song, but
that must have been a hundred years
ago!” This was our guy, the legend, Mr.
James Beams.
We invited Beams to campus on
Sept. 12, for lunch and a chat. Beams
worked at Champlain for a brief stint

Come join in festive song together,
As we sing of old Champlain;
Harken to the joyous chorus
And the sweet, sweet, ling’ring refrain.
34

Champlain View | Fall 13

James Beams poses
with the 1964 yearbook
photo of Freeman
Hall in front of today’s
facade of Freeman.

as the choral director after graduating
from the University of Vermont in 1963.
Turns out he was in the 1963 yearbook
in the Glee Club photograph, but
he was mislabeled as A. Beams, his
father’s name.
“The lyrics were actually written by
two students,” Beams shared. “It had
actually been a poem, and I made it
the song.” Frank Molinski ’64 and J.
Griffin were the authors of the piece of
prose that became the College’s alma
mater.
While I grumble about the song
being performed only twice a year,
for decades it went untouched. Until
President David Finney arrived in
2006, there was not a formal Convocation ceremony, and the tradition of
the alma mater had since been long
forgotten. It was resurrected about five
years ago, and has been performed
with pride semiannually ever since.
“I can’t believe you still sing it. I
hadn’t heard anything from Champlain
since I left in 1964,” admitted Beams.
He hadn’t stepped on campus since,
and was thrilled to see the changes
and meet the students who populate
the hill today.
Beams, a native Vermonter,
traveled the world as a child, as his

father served in the U.S. Army. They returned
to Burlington, where he graduated from Burlington
High School, class of 1955, in the building that
now houses Edmunds School.
After graduating, he joined the Navy, where he
was trained to be a pilot, before attending UVM
to pursue a degree in music education. Now this
is back when it cost only $250 a semester to go to
college. Beams was a very involved student, and
was on campus six days a week for various music
extracurriculars, much to the dismay of his wife.
One of Beams’ professors referred him to
Champlain’s staff to lead their chorus, where he
spent two years directing a dozen or so women in
the Glee Club. He then left the College to
start teaching music in all the district schools for
20 years.
During this time he also performed as a solo
tenor with the Boston Symphony, the Vermont and
New Hampshire Symphonies, and even in the Met
Opera Company in New York City for four years.
Now retired, Beams has come full circle. He owns
an aircraft maintenance facility, JB Aero & Son, with
his son Stephen. His daughter, Robynn, works as a
videographer at WCAX in Burlington.
Beams takes a lot of pride in his accomplishments, loves telling his stories, and has a great
sense of humor. He was a pleasure to host on
campus, and we even managed to get him to sing
the alma mater with us.
During my duet with Becky at last year’s Commencement ceremony, I heard “mumble mumble
mumble” from the audience throughout the entire
tune, ending with SING OF OLD CHAMPLAIN!
The song is the last thing that graduates do before
leaving Commencement, and as a candidate for
graduation in May 2014 I think it would be a powerful and gratifying moment if my class could sing
along. Especially if we are honored to have James
Beams present to perform it with us.
See James Beams, Kayla Hedman, and Becky
Peterson sing the alma mater on Youtube at
http://youtu.be/8ICcECtsqd0.

THE LLEWELLYN COLLECTION
AT CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE
Champlain College honored local resident Lance Llewellyn
with a public unveiling of the Llewellyn Collection at
Champlain College on Sept. 16. Housed in Roger H. Perry
Hall, the Llewellyn Collection is a non-circulating special
collection administered by the Champlain College library.
At the event, remarks were
given by Provost and Chief
Academic Officer Robin
Abramson, Senior Vice
President of Finance and
Administration David Provost,
Champlain College Professor
David Lustgarten, Fletcher
Free Library’s Robert Resnik,
and University of Vermont
Professor Thomas Visser.

One of hundreds of vintage postcards
showing Burlington, Vermont.

Llewellyn lives in Burlington and is a longtime friend of
Champlain College. He graduated from the University of
Vermont with degrees in civil engineering in ’67 and ’72
and later established engineering consulting firms in the
Burlington area. His professional work is found throughout
Vermont, including numerous projects on the Champlain
College campus. An ardent Vermont enthusiast, he has
collected Vermont memorabilia throughout much of his life.
In 2010, he offered his unique collection to the College,
which is dedicated to preserving the spirit and history of
Burlington and the Champlain Valley.
The Llewellyn Collection consists of more than 800 books
and pamphlets, 200 objects, and 100 linear feet of maps
and ephemera related to the state of Vermont, with a
focus on the city of Burlington – including more than 2,200
postcards and 80 scores of sheet music, as well as brochures,
advertisements, pins and buttons, and other souvenir items.
An online catalog of the collection is available at http://
specialcollections.champlain.edu/digital-collections/

Further information about the Llewellyn
Collection or the Champlain archives may be
obtained by contacting archivist Erica Donnis at
edonnis@champlain.edu.
If you have any memorabilia from Champlain
College’s past that you would like to donate to the
Champlain College archives, or if you would like to
schedule a research appointment to look through
the College’s archives, please contact Erica Donnis.
President David F. Finney, Lance
Lllewellyn, and David Provost at the
dedication of the Llewellyn Collection
at Champlain College.

Champlain View | Fall 13

35

2013 Alumni Leadership Honors
The Champlain College 2013 Alumni Leadership Awards
were co-presented by retiring professor Alan Stracke as
his final official act at Champlain. The outstanding alumni
leaders with President David F. Finney are, from left,

CLASS NOTES
1960s
Louise A. Sjobeck ’63 was awarded the
Community Impact Award by the Vermont
Community Foundation at its annual meeting
in September 2013.

1970s
Gloria LaCroix Bennett and Jacke Jaques
Zeiher, both ’71 graduates of Champlain’s
Legal Secretarial curriculum and federal
retirees, caught up at lunch this year in
Washington, D.C.
David W. MacDonough ‘72, a South
Burlington police officer, was recently
promoted to the rank of detective.
MacDonough will be working for the
Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations
(CUSI) as well as serving as a tactical operator for the Chittenden Advanced Tactical
Response (CATR) unit. He is a 15-year
veteran, having served with the Chittenden
County Sheriff’s Office, Shelburne Police
Department, and South Burlington Police
Department. He currently lives in North
Ferrisburgh, VT with his wife Melissa and son
David.
Dolores C. Struckhoff ‘74 is heading up
the Enfield Shaker Museum as its executive
director. It is a very different work environment
moving from the corporate world to the
nonprofit world. She especially enjoys using
her business experience to streamline and
improve processes that will ultimately impact
the future of the museum in a positive way.
Tim Congdon ‘75, president of Congdon
Associates Distributing Co. (CADCo), recently
hired Frederick Christian Kalweit III ‘12,
who is in a management training program at
CADCo.

Jill Laurence ‘82 has been named the special
education department teacher leader for
Central High School in Providence, RI, where
she has been teaching for the past 10 years.
CHS is one of the largest high schools in
Providence with a very diverse population of
approximately 1,200 students.
Charlotte Irish-Collmar ‘85 is living in
Orlando, FL, with her husband of 27 years,
Joe. Her son Matthew is living in Battle
Creek, MI, and daughter Samantha Mae is
living in Orlando. Charlotte is a grandmother
to Halie, age 8, and Hunter, age 3. She enjoys
working in the hospitality field at the Crowne
Plaza Resort closest to Universal, as their night
audit supervisor.
David J. Lacroix ‘87 was recently honored by
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin for his many
years of service on Vermont’s Advisory Council
on Special Education.
Gina (Racine) Sears ‘87 recently started
Green Mountain Basement Solutions, LLC,
along with her husband and business partner
Michael Sears. The company is a basement
waterproofing and foundation repair business
based out of Colchester, VT, with a shop location in Essex, VT.
Kelly L. Citro ‘88 is currently working at
Chittenden Central Supervisory Union as the
IT assistant.
Patricia A. LaFond ’88 is a servicing/
reporting specialist for the Vermont Housing
Finance Agency in Burlington, VT.
Katrina Blue ‘89 and Chuck Miller were
married at their house in Starksboro, VT, on
July 7, 2012.

Laura D. Dusha ‘90 is currently the executive
director of a nonprofit wellness center in the
small community of Barre, MA.
Kelley E. Allen ‘91 was a recipient of the
Building Block Award for Outstanding
Volunteer Service to VT 211 at the United Way
of Chittenden County’s kickoff breakfast in
September 2013. In addition, she was recently
promoted to senior client manager at Hickok
& Boardman HR Intelligence. She has been
employed at H&B for 11 years.
Heather A. Moreau ‘92 is the firm manager
at the new law firm of Maley & Maley PLLC.
Annette Hannah ‘95 bought her own business, Champlain Insuring in Swanton, VT, in
early 2011. It is a property and casualty insurance agency for home, auto, and business.
You can check it out at www.champlaininsuring.com.
Sarah J. Carlough ‘96 has been promoted
to assistant director of conference services
at Lake Lanier Islands Legacy Lodge &
Conference Center in Buford, GA.
Sandra (Baker) Foisy ’97, ‘95 and Marc
Foisy welcomed a daughter, Callie Olivia
Foisy, in Georgia, VT, on March 27, 2013.
Misty (Dubuque) Blow ‘98 and Michael Blow
welcomed a son, Evander Michael Blow, in
Essex, VT, on March 15, 2013.
Margaret L. Allen ‘98 was recently promoted
to quality assurance and compliance officer
for Millview TBI, a small for-profit company
that provides community-based services to
individuals with traumatic brain injuries and
other disabilities through two Medicaid waiver

programs in the Albany, NY, area. She supervises the Independent Living Skills Training
(ILST) department and will continue that with
her new role. She is always looking for new
providers for the Independent Living Skills
department, so if any Champlain OTA grads
are looking for something in the Albany area,
they should check in!
Jenny Lindsey ‘99 is the office manager at
ServiceNow, located in Kirkland, WA.
Kimberly (Auger) Peele ‘99 recently took a
job with Martin Pitt Partnership for Children in
Greenville, NC, as the regional infant toddler
specialist.

2000s
Abba B. Corliss ‘01 has been employed
as a legal assistant at Bergeron, Paradis &
Fitzpatrick, LLP in Burlington, VT for almost
10 years.
David Perry ’02 and Rayanna (Mears) Perry
‘01 welcomed a daughter, Lily Ida Perry, in
Atlanta, GA, on Jan. 29, 2013.
Robyn M. Carnevale ‘03 welcomed a son,
Graham Otto Carnevale, on March 8, 2013.
Stephanie L. McElroy ‘03 and Joshua Shover
welcomed a son, Marcus James Shover, in
Burlington, VT, on Feb. 5, 2013.
Sarah (Ernest) Jerger ’04, ’03, ‘02 and Jay
Jerger welcomed a son, Lucas Craige, on
March 23, 2013.
Meredith (Walker) McCullough ’04 and
Joshua McCullough ‘05 welcomed a son,
Max Daniel McCullough, Aug. 21.
Amanda O’Neil ’04, G’13 just graduated
from Champlain’s Master of Studies in Law
(MSL) program in July.
Ravi G. Parikh ’04, ‘03 has been working
on the energy services team at Burlington
Electric Department. His primary focus is to
work with commercial accounts to identify
energy efficiency improvements. His work has
him engaged with a variety of people within
the Champlain community, including HVAC
technician Bob Bolin.
Matthew K. Williams ‘04 is the publications
officer and backup congressional affairs liaison
for the Dept. of the Interior, Office of Natural
Resources Revenue under the director’s chief
of staff in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he
joined a specialized team of presidential
fellows as a writer and editor to redesign and
update the U.S. government’s online presence, including streamlining, standardizing,
and modernizing all agency/bureau websites.
Nicholas J. Novello ‘05 began his new
appointment as associate director of financial
aid at California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona in May 2013.
Diana S. Bockus ’06, ‘04 is owner, writer,
and photographer for Down Home Traveler:
a travel, food and music blog. She has been
invited out to stay and explore various towns,
accommodations, and events including
GrapeFest (the largest wine festival in the
Southwest), and was asked to judge the
Texas Steak Cook-off for two years in a row.
Bockus consistently receives praise for scenic

photography, and recently, she sold Motorola
the rights to use a photo of hers in an
upcoming marketing campaign.
April (White) Farnham ‘06 and James
Farnham welcomed a son, Daniel Orrin
Farnham, in Barre, VT, on March 26, 2013.
Jodi B. Greene ‘06 married DJ Lebrun on
Aug. 11, 2012, and welcomed a baby boy,
Griffin Daniel, on May 1, 2013. Greene is now
a graduate student at Champlain College.
Danielle P. Laberge ’06 manages a horse
farm in Brandon, VT. She currently has 10
horses, including an AQHA mare that she has
raised from birth. In the summer, the farm has
gymkhanas under the lights on Friday nights
and a mixture of gymkhanas and shows on the
weekends.

training in Ishikawa Prefecture, to be followed
by 10 months of practical experience in a
Japanese government agency or ministry,
where he will seek to contribute to work that
relates to policy development, strategic
planning, and interactions with the legislature.
Eric C. Adamowsky ‘08 and a high school
classmate, John Ganotis, founded Credit Card
Insider, a website that provides consumers
with information and reviews on credit cards
and publishes articles from experts on
responsible credit practices.
Alberto Aviles ’08, ‘06 moved from Vermont
where he was an advertising performance
analyst at Dealer.com to a new job with
Staples as a digital marketing specialist in the
greater Chicago area.

Edward L. Manning ‘06 After a stint
in the advertising field, Manning went
to seminary in New Orleans for four
years, worked as a minister of music and
outreach at a church in northwestern
Louisiana, joined the foreign mission
field, and is now headed with his wife
and two daughters to Burkina Faso,
West Africa, to work with a ministry
called Shattering Darkness.
Susanne Terry G’06 was published
in the last issue of the Association for
Conflict Resolution publication.
Nicholas W. Blanton ‘07 is the founder
and CEO of Salt Cases. Salt Cases
recently introduced the first ever
thermally protective smartphone case
that incorporates NASA technology to
prevent temperature-related malfunctions. The patent-pending, thermally
protective Salt Cases are certified by the
Space Foundation. At the completion
of a successful Kickstarter campaign,
Salt Cases will begin production with a limited
batch of iPhone 5 cases. You can learn more
at www.saltcases.com.
Ashley Jewell ’07 and Price Gendron got
engaged while on vacation in Aruba in
September 2013.
Amanda M. Kimel ‘07 gave birth to her first
child, Seamus Robert Clohessy, on Aug. 24.
Mom, dad, and baby recently moved into
their new house and are excited about owning
their first home. Kimel is now in her sixth year
as an x-ray technician at Porter Hospital in
Middlebury, VT. She is also certified in CAT
scan and is working toward certification in
mammograms.
Melissa J. Saunders ’07, ‘06 was married
to Cagney Hamblett on May 11, 2012 in
Montego Bay, Jamaica. Saunders passed her
professional human resources exam on June
19, 2013.
Robert G. Sheldon ’07, ‘05 recently began a
one-year Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program
in Japan, established by Congress in 1994 to
build a corps of U.S. government officials with
substantial Japan expertise. He has served
as senior policy analyst with the U.S.-China
Economic and Security Review Commission
in Washington, DC, since 2009. Sheldon’s
Fellowship year will begin with a seven-week
homestay and intensive Japanese language

Accounting Excellence
Endowed Scholarship Awards
Ashlie Delphia ‘14, left, and Jeremy
Walla ‘15 are the 2013 recipients
of the Accounting Excellence
Scholarship, a permanently endowed
fund. The $2,500 scholarship is given
to accomplished Accounting students
who have demonstrated great
professional promise.
Kaylan K. Brown ‘08 was married to
Christopher Coulter ‘07 at Merriweather
Manor in Leesburg, VA, on May 18, 2013.
Laurette Cross ’08 and Travis Garrand
were married on Jan. 22, 2012. The couple
welcomed a baby girl, Ellie Mae, on April 23,
2012. Cross is a correctional instructor at the
Community High School of Vermont.
Stephen P. Grindle ‘08 recently obtained a
professional certificate in web development
from the Continuing Professional Studies
program at Champlain College. He was then
able to get a full-time web development job
at Norwich University.

Champlain View | Fall 13

37

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE’S FIRST OUTDOOR

COMMENCEMENT 2013

HOODING CEREMONY—May 10, 2013
Some 110 students participated in the Commencement and hooding ceremony
for master’s degree candidates. They were led to the Perry Hall tent by EHS
Dean Laurel Bongiorno. Former Vt. Gov. Madeleine M. Kunin (at right), who
received a Champlain College honorary degree—Doctor of Public Service—in
2008, gave the keynote speech. The alumni welcome was delivered by C.
Sebastian Massey ‘12 of Mediation & Applied Conflict Studies. A reception for
families followed in the IDX Student Center.

(Photos by Stephen Mease)

38

Champlain View | Fall 13

UNDERGRADUATES—May 4, 2013
Champlain College’s first outdoor commencement was held on the
Edmunds School field next to Skiff Hall on a perfect Saturday morning. Ryan
Warner ‘13 (top right) may have been the first college graduate to wear
Google Glass as he picked up his diploma. Graduates received a carved
Champlain Spyglass, sponsored by the SGA and handcrafted by ClearLake
Furniture. Top students celebrated with flowers and calls to family, while
the students with the highest average in their division or school gathered to
carry their banners to the ceremony. Vermont author Chris Bohjalain (below,
left) received an Honorary Fine Arts degree and delivered the address to
graduates. George Chaffee (not shown) received an honorary Commerce
degree. David Winslow ‘00 (below right) offered the Alumni Welcome.

See more photos at http://www.champlain.edu/about-champlain/newsroom/commencement-2013.

Champlain View | Fall 13

39

Woodbury
30th Reunion
Alumni from Woodbury College
and Champlain College’s
Mediation & Applied Conflict
Studies program gathered to
mark 30 years of work in Vermont
on Sept. 28. The program, led
by Jullian Portilla, included a
“museum” of mementoes from
the past and graduate Dana
Caspersen’s workshop, “Conflict
and the Body: Experiments for
Practitioners.”

Danielle F. Miller ‘08 started a new
position with Wells Fargo in the Anti Money
Laundering (AML) division, dealing with
drug and human trafficking and anti-terrorist
funding in Charlotte, NC.
Lindsey K. Rodstrom ‘08 was married to Jon
Hutchins on June 8, 2013, on Peaks Island,
ME.
Cynthia R. Allen ’09 recently started a parttime permanent job at New England Biolabs.
Katherine C. Maund ‘09 was hired as the
digital director at Wildfang in February.
Wildfang, an international online retailer
of tomboy clothing, just won the Oregon
Entrepreneurs Network startup of the year
award.
Kristen A. Mercure ‘09 moved to the corporate communications and investor relations
team at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters as a
senior corporate communications specialist.
She’s also enrolled as a graduate student
in the University of Southern California’s
Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism.
Mercedes C. Murray ‘09 moved across the
country to San Rafael, CA in early 2013 and
quickly found employment at CP Shades,
a clothing company, in Sausalito, CA, as a
production assistant. She’s very happy and
proud of her job and hopes to connect with
other Champlain alumni or current students
who want to make the cross-country move to
California.
Alison A. Proctor ‘09 is living in New Delhi,
India, for five months and organizing HIV
prevention workshops and trainings, as part
of her master’s degree requirement at the SIT
Graduate Institute.
Krysta L. Voskowsky ‘09 will be graduating
from Emerson College in December 2013
with an MFA in creative writing. She is living
in Boston, freelance writing, and blogging
for NoshOn.It. Her most recent work was
published in Spry Literary Journal.

40

Champlain View | Fall 13

2010s
Gary L. Bertels G’10 was accepted to pursue
a M.Ed. in human resource development
at the University of Illinois. He is currently
a senior manager of human resources with
Ipsos, the world’s third-largest market research
firm.
Christianna N. Cutler ’10 is owner of Tip
of the Tail, a pet care business that provides
customized dog walking, pet sitting, and pet
taxi. Learn more at www.tipofthetailvt.com.
John DosSantos ‘10 is a financial administrator for the State of Vermont Department of
Environmental Conservation.
Gregory G. Fullum ‘10 is currently working at
Perkins Coie in the creative group.
Shayna D. Fontaine ‘10 is now an accountant
with Precision Plumbing & Heating in Boulder,
CO.
Matthew A. Houle ’10 is working as
a computer forensic analyst at CACI
International in Washington, DC.
Amanda J. Jones ‘10 has joined Alchemy
and Science as junior graphic designer.
Kate E. Larose G’10 was recently hired as
the consulting branch director for Global
Learning Partners, an organization that helps
clients create profound and lasting change
in the world through meaningful personal,
professional, and organizational development.
Larose and her husband recently celebrated
the birth of their son Jaxon.
Nichole M. Magoon ’10 has started graduate
school to earn a master’s degree in Business
Administration at Champlain College.
Adam J. Tinker ‘11 is working as a staff
consultant at Ernst & Young in New York City.
Rex Accavallo ’11 is one of Vermont Business
Magazine’s 2013 Rising Stars.
Jess Andreola G’11 is one of Vermont
Business Magazine’s 2013 Rising Stars.

Andrew Hammond ‘11 married Danielle
Thorburn ’12.
Hartley B. Hartman ‘11 moved from a
staff accountant position at AIG to an audit
associate position at Johnson Lambert LLP
in January 2013. In August, he was promoted
to senior audit associate. He also now has his
CPA.
Tomas M. Quinones ’11, ’10 is working as
an intern for Dark Wing Studios, a startup
company run by Josh Newman, as well
as continuing his job as staff writer for
MTGFanatic.com.
Joel C. Wilke ‘11 started a new job with Apex
Systems as a web developer contractor for
Wells Fargo in Minneapolis, MN.
Lucas Annunziata ’12 is a 3D environmental
artist for Torn Banner Studios, and recently
moved to Toronto, Canada.
Kayleigh H. Blanchette ‘12 recently moved
to Pittsburgh, PA, and within a week was
offered three great jobs. She now works at the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette as a digital advertising specialist.
Evan M. Branon ‘12 has invented a new
tree-tapping tool that will be available for
sale soon. Custom built for the purpose of
tree-tapping, the Precision Tapper is designed
to enhance conventional tapping methods
in order to maximize efficiency, increase sap
production, and improve overall operational
productivity. See it at www.precisiontapper.
com.
Marguerite Dibble ’12 was married to
Thatcher Friant on Oct. 5, 2013 in Burlington,
VT.
Mark C. Foerster, Jr. G’12,’03,’02 and
Susan Foerster welcomed a daughter, Annie
Elizabeth Foerster, in Colchester, VT, on Feb.
5, 2013.
Kelly Ann Forkas ‘12 is living in Denver, CO,
and is applying for her master’s degree in
social work at Metropolitan State University.

ALUMNI PROFILE

AMANDA MAHONY ’12

Leading

By Example
Story by Molly

Ritvo

It is difficult not to be drawn to Amanda Mahony’s
infectious smile and warm personality. But delve a bit
deeper and you will discover a story of passionate
commitment to service. Amanda Mahony ’12, a digital
specialist at Dealer.com, studied Public Relations at
Champlain, but soon found herself deeply devoted to
volunteerism.
From the moment Mahony set foot on campus,
she was as active as she could be. “Besides studying and
taking as many extracurricular Marketing classes as I could,
I discovered the amazing travel opportunities Champlain
offered students,” she explains. “I studied abroad in Dublin,
assisted with the startup of the Teach for Tomorrow trips
to Africa my freshman year, and returned to Tanzania as a
student leader for Teach for Tomorrow my sophomore year.”
In early 2009, Mahony embarked on her first trip to
East Africa as a volunteer teacher with a group of other
Champlain students. The experience stirred something in
her: “I decided that I would do something bigger upon my
return home,” she recalls. “I observed African students in
the schools we worked with who were dealing with sexual
abuse, poverty, malnourishment, and a lack of access to
education. I felt frustrated by, and consumed with, a desire
to be part of a positive change for the people of Africa, but
especially for the lives of women and children.”
Mahony stayed in touch with various organizations she
connected with during her teaching opportunities. She
witnessed one particular organization called the Global
Mental Health Initiatives, become a nonprofit in April 2010.
The organization was then asked to attend the World
Congress for the World Federation for Mental Health in
October 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. Mahony, who
had remained connected with leaders of that nonprofit,
was offered the chance to accompany the organization to
congress as a community manager. She accepted it.
The Champlain community rallied around Mahony
and encouraged her participation. “After I explained
the opportunity to travel to Cape Town as a community
manager, a mentor and former Marketing professor told me
‘You have to go! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’
After that, everyone on campus—from the cafeteria staff to
the president of the College—encouraged me,” she says.

“With the help of the Champlain College Student
Government Association, the Center for Service & Civic
Engagement, and the Champlain College trustees, I raised
$1,300 in four weeks,” Mahony recalls with enthusiasm.
“President Finney and I met multiple times before my
departure, and he was one of my chief encouragers along
the journey. How many college presidents are so willing to
help a student travel to Africa to volunteer?”
And then, suddenly, there she was in Cape Town. The
conference was attended by psychologists, psychiatrists, and
other “healthcare thinkers” who gather annually to share
their research. In 2011, 1,200 delegates from 53 countries
were in attendance. The youngest of those delegates was
Mahony.
To fulfill her role as the community manager, Mahony
conducted interviews with other delegates and posted them
on YouTube and tweeted live updates to her Twitter handle
(@a_mahony) so supporters of the Global Mental Health
Initiative at home could share her excitement. “I interviewed
delegates from Finland, Hong Kong, and the United
Kingdom,” she remembers. “I learned that the stigma of
mental health is an issue across the globe.”
When Mahony returned yet again to Champlain, she
integrated her experiences in Africa with her studies, and
soon landed a coveted internship in the digital marketing
department at EatingWell Media Group. She continued to
utilize her social media skills.
“I learned that social media marketing potential can be
unlocked with a really efficient digital strategy,” she said.
Today, Mahony continues to work in the digital marketing
industry as a digital specialist at Dealer.com. “The awesome
people I am fortunate to work with every single day, both
as clients and colleagues, are why I love my job,” she says,
smiling. “Post-grad and 32 job applications later, it worked
out!”

Champlain View | Fall 13

41

Bee Thankful
The Champlain College Apiary,
located on the southern side of
the Perry Barn, produced its first
harvest of honey this fall. The apiary
acts as Champlain’s living, learning
laboratory on campus. The three
hives and beekeeping equipment
were the Class of 2013’s gift to the
College. A summer bridge program
class was the first to experience the
bees up close.

CLASS NOTES
Mitchell A. Foster II, G’12 was promoted to
second vice president, Travelers Companies,
Inc., in June.
Nicholas V. Galante ‘12 is working in New
York City as a freelance camera assistant. He
has worked for clients such as PayPal, Acura,
Walmart, and others, and spent part of the
summer as a camera assistant for NBC’s
America’s Got Talent. He has recently been
working as a camera operator and assistant
for VH1’s Chrissy and Mr. Jones, and is
scheduled to start work on a new VH1 series
in November.
Brittny E. Gross ‘12 recently moved to
Ashikaga, Tochigi, Japan to be an elementary
school teacher.
Ethan Hiley ’12 is an associate artist at Raven
Software in Middleton, WI.
Lorelei M. Jackson ‘12 recently ended her
short career as a teacher at a private school
and is beginning a new adventure in Lincoln,
England. She has started graduate school and
will be living there for 18 months.
Frederick Christian Kalweit III ’12 was
recently hired into the management training
program at Congdon Associates Distributing
Co. (CADCo) of Phillipsburg, NJ. He is
learning all phases of the distribution business. CADCo distributes to 350 retail stores
throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic
states. His experience in his family business
and his business degree from Champlain
made him an ideal candidate for the position.
Tim Congdon ’75 is president of CADCo.
Ross P. Ransom ‘12 is working for RETN in
Burlington, VT. The station submitted various
projects to the Alliance for Community Media,
a nationwide association, for consideration in
the 2013 National Hometown Media awards
and RETN won in overall excellence for its
budget ($350k-600k). Two videos that Ransom
produced also won in the Access Center
Professional category.
Rachel M. Salois ‘12 was hired as an editorial
assistant at the Junior Library Guild.

42

Champlain View | Fall 13

Melissa Sheketoff ‘12 began a position
at Channel 12 News in Connecticut in
November. Since graduation she has been a
reporter at WCAX-TV, Burlington, where she
interned since August 2011.
Carolyn J. Watcke ’12 is executive assistant
to the publisher at FreePressMedia in
Burlington, VT.
Kaisey A. Arena ’13 recently moved from
Massachusetts to Frisco, CO, to work in
Copper Mountain’s marketing department as
the social media specialist. She anticipates
the US Ski Team’s arrival for Olympic training,
along with the Grand Prix qualifiers for the
Olympic Freestyle teams.
Nicole H. Baker ‘13 is currently working as a
marketing and operations assistant at Country
Walkers; as a program assistant to Global
New Media Lab funded by the Department of
State, implemented by PH International and
hosted at Champlain College; as program
assistant to the Young Entrepreneurship
& Innovation Program funded by the
Department of State and the US Embassy in
Ankara, Turkey, with implementation by PH
International; as an international scholarship
manager at Wells Mountain Foundation;
and as assistant program director of the
Champlain College Shanghai Summer Camp
with Director Rob Williams.
Eric H. Buhrendorf ‘13 is finishing his first
term on city council and has been elected to
the Rocky Hill, CT, Chamber of Commerce
board of directors.
Christine M. Casey ‘13 was hired as a digital
forensic associate at Stroz Friedber in New
York City.
Kristen L. Cormier ‘13 recently started work
at Google in Ann Arbor, MI, as a Techstop
connect technician.
Robin R. Guillian G’13, ’12 has been working
with fellow Champlain College grad Kim
Harry G’10 to bring Conflict Resolution
Month to Vermont. Read more about it at
conflictresolutionmonthvt.com. They both

worked with Champlain master’s in Mediation
alumni, students, professionals, and the
community to host and support events
through October.
Matthew S. Ide ‘13 was hired as a technical
content artist at Turbine.
Thomas L. Lyga II ‘13 was hired as a project
manager at Select Design in Burlington, VT.
Kane A. O’Neill ‘13 was offered a position
in Bozeman, MT, as the sports director/sports
anchor for the NBC station KTVM the day
before graduation. Two weeks later, he moved
there and is now the head sports anchor
Monday-Friday.
Robert R. Olsen G’13,’12 was published in
the last issue of the Association for Conflict
Resolution publication.
Andrea H. Olson G’13 began a job at Dealer.
com as a search implementation specialist
with the SEO team.
Isabella S. Panero ‘13 is working in the
brand design department at Starwood Hotels
& Resorts at the corporate headquarters in
Stamford, CT.
Nicholas R. Pugliese ’13 recently joined
Dealer.com as a designer in ad operations.
Skylar Ridabock ’13 was recently hired
as a junior graphic designer at Bottomline
Technologies in Portsmouth, NH.
Catherine M. Stamm ‘13 recently started
a job with Kivu Consulting, a small, San
Francisco-based firm that does digital forensics and computer investigations.
Kyle M. Sullivan ‘13 recently joined Google
in Ann Arbor, MI, as a corporate engineering
support technician.
Nikki Tetreault ’13 is the Director of
Marketing and PR at Curiosity Quills Press
in Virginia. Since graduation in May, she has
been promoted twice and was asked to hire
her own interns. Tetreault works remotely from
Seattle, WA.

Discover

Ireland
Tour

July 11-20
2014
Experience traditional Irish food & music
Visit beautiful coastal regions of Counties Cork, Kerry and Clare
Take a walking tour of historic Dublin with local expert

Sign Up Today
The Oﬃces of the President and International
Education at Champlain College oﬀers a 10-day
tour of Dublin and Southwestern Ireland for
staﬀ, faculty, alumni, and friends of the college.
The tour, led by the faculty and staﬀ of Champlain
College Dublin oﬀers participants an insider
understanding of the country, its people, and its
culture. The tour also gives a chance to visit the
Champlain Abroad Dublin Academic Center and
learn more about the study abroad program.

The estimated cost of the tour is $1,650,
not including airfare. A $250 supplement will
apply to those requesting a single room.
Accommodations will be 3 or 4 star quality for
overnights outside of Dublin and corporate-style
apartments with kitchens while in Dublin. Travel
will be by luxury coach.
For more information contact Dr. Stephen
Robinson, Dublin Campus srobinson@champlain.edu
or Kathy Lynn in the Oﬃce of International Education,
Burlington Campus lynn@champlain.edu.
Champlain View | Fall 13

43

IN MEMORIAM
In memory of our fellow alumni and friends who
passed on this year. Please keep their families and
friends in your thoughts.
•

new opportunity to honor departed alumni, staff,
faculty and friends of the College is available in
the Memorial Garden next to Roger H. Perry

Hall. The name, class year and affiliation with the College
can now be engraved into the stone benches located in the
square just off the southwestern corner of the building.
For more information, contact Shelley Richardson, vice
president of Advancement, (802) 860-2714 or by email at
Shelley.richardson@champlain.edu

44

Champlain View | Fall 13

Dr. John W. Heisse, Jr. (seated) receiving his honorary degree from
Champlain College in 2012 at Commencement. With him are Trustee Michael
Metz, Provost Robin Abramson and President David F. Finney.

Dr. John W. “Jack” Heisse Jr., of Shelburne,
Vermont. Caregiver, leader, scholar, teacher, friend—
Jack Heisse built a life in which he served in many
different roles to address the needs of many different
people. He departed this life to join his beloved
wife Sandy on Oct. 3, 2013. Jack was born Feb. 9,
1927, in Baltimore, Maryland. While his professional
life labeled him “doctor,” he served his community
in other valuable capacities as well. He was, for
example, a long-term supporter and trustee of
Champlain College (1970-80) and a 2012 recipient
of an honorary Doctorate in Public Service from
Champlain. He was also an active member of the
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), through
which he contributed to the birth and continuing
growth of many new businesses in our community.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the
John W. Heisse Jr. Endowment, Champlain College.
John R. Schillhammer ’60 passed away on
Sept. 23, 2013, at the age of 74. John was the
oldest son of Richard W. Schillhammer ’34—Trustee
Emeritus of Champlain College. John grew up in
Burlington, Vermont, joining his family business,
Queen City Printers Inc., upon graduation. He is
survived by many loving family members, including
Champlain graduates father Richard Schillhammer
’34, daughter Shari Verge ’83 and her husband Randy
Verge ’83, and former wife Ann Schillhammer ’62.

SARAH RAMSEY ‘12 STRONG SCHOLARSHIP

C

hamplain College this fall
announced a new endowed
scholarship fund established in
memory of Sarah Elizabeth Ramsey,
Class of 2012.
The Sarah Ramsey ‘12 Strong
Scholarship Fund was established by
gifts from family and friends of Ramsey.
The scholarship will support third- or
fourth-year marketing students who
have demonstrated strong academic
performance and wish to expand
their professional and international
experiences while attending Champlain
College. The scholarship will be awarded
annually at the Robert P. Stiller School of
Business honors event.
As a Marketing major with a
specialization in Integrated Advertising,
Ramsey studied abroad in Lima, Peru,
during the fall semester of her junior
year at Champlain. She embarked on
a promising advertising career with
internships with Cloud 9 Caterers in
Burlington and the Blue Hive Agency
in Shanghai, China. Earlier this year,

Ramsey died tragically after being struck
by a car in Brooklyn, NY.
Friends and family of Ramsey chose
to announce the fund at the Oct. 1
Vermont film premiere of Captain
Phillips, with all proceeds from the
public showing of the Sony Pictures film
benefiting the endowed fund. Cloud 9
Caterers and the Hindquarter catering
truck were also on campus for Family
Weekend in mid-October, with proceeds
going to the scholarship fund.
“Thanks to the generosity of Sarah’s
friends and family, we’re excited to
offer this scholarship opportunity to
Champlain students,” said the Ramsey
family. “Our hope is that scholarship
recipients will help honor Sarah’s creative
vision and drive by pursuing internship
opportunities they otherwise could
not take advantage of as part of their
college experience. We look forward
to learning more about their marketing
and advertising career experiences when
they return and share them with the
Champlain community.

Sarah Ramsey’s parents, Jim and Susan,
with Capt. Richard Phillips at the Vermont
premiere to benefit the scholarship fund.

For more information about the
Sarah Ramsey ‘12 Strong Fund or the
Marketing program at the Stiller School,
call or email Elaine Young, (802) 8655413, eyoung@champlain.edu.
To contribute securely online, go
to https://secure.champlain.edu/
annualfund/

A photo and poetic tribute
to Sarah Ramsey from her
classmates Hans Bardenheuer
‘12 and Erica Viscio ‘12.

Champlain View | Fall 13

45

163 South Willard Street
P.O. Box 670
Burlington, VT 05402-0670

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 261
Burlington VT

2013 INTERNATIONAL PHOTO CONTEST

FIRST PLACE: Barun Otoko (Balloon Man),
taken in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. A man with
a balloon and bike takes a break outside a
shrine in Tokyo. Photo by Kate Young â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;14.
SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 16